By Victoria Hanson
Nigerian Government has been enjoined to enact modern and robust laws which will help to safeguard journalists in the country.
This appeal was made on Wednesday during a media Round Table on “Safeguarding Press Freedom And Safety Of Journalists Amidst Rising Conflict” organized by The Nigerian Journalists Safety Initiative in collaboration with International Press Centre and Open Society Foundations held in Lagos.
Governments at all levels are also advised to make the environment conducive and safe for journalists so as to aid them in discharging their obligations of holding the government accountable to the people.
Barrister Monday Ubani, former Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association Ikeja Branch, said that in recent years, there has been disquieting evidence on the scale and number of attacks against the safety of journalists and media workers as well as incidents affecting their ability to exercise freedom of expression.
In order to address the issue of attacks among journalists in the country, Ubani who was represented by Barr. Evans noted that the Nigerian Union of Journalists must ensure that there is adequate and strict compliance to the ethics of the profession in discharging their duties as the fourth estate of the realm.
He also charged the National University Commission (NUC) to ensure that aspiring Journalists in the Universities across the federation are provided with the requisite materials and information so as to drive the process of their training for effective articulation of the concept of journalism as its affects the society.
While urging Nigerian politicians to abstain from the attitudes of influencing journalists with bribes and offering monetary or other gifts which would induce reportage, he however called on various media houses to play their roles in providing welfare to aid Journalists in abiding by the tenets of the profession.
He explained that freedom of the press is the instrument which protects Journalists as well as media professionals from all forms of impunity, adding that a high degree of press freedom is essential for fostering dialogue, peace and good governance.
Without freedom of the press and adequate safety for Journalists, the Barrister stressed that it would be impossible to have an informed, active and engaged environment, even as he emphasized that strong freedom of the press is essential to ensure the safety of journalists and to eradicate impunity and violation of human rights.
Mr Tive Denedoo admonished Journalists to strive at all course to safe their lives and never allow money to influence them. ‘’No story is worth dying for” he stressed.
Also speaking, The Director, International Press Centre (IPC ), Mr. Lanre Arogundade observed that media is not doing enough to protect themselves.
According to him, “Journalists are not defending themselves, they refused to raise issues on the front page of their papers but reporting other people’s issues, if you as journalists are neglecting your issues, who will fight for you?”
Arogundade therefore seized the opportunity to condemn the attitude of journalists using press releases as cover stories, rather than investigative reporting.
He appealed to them to use their working tools to re –invent themselves as well as the profession.
