Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger has commended the role being played by journalists in Nigeria, even as they are being exposed to various hazards , on daily basis.
He gave the commendation in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs Mary Berje, in Minna on Sunday, to commemorate the 2020 World Press Freedom Day.
Bello, while underscoring the pivotal role of the press in nation building, acknowledged that it was offering the society a great service through constant information dissemination.
He described the theme of this year’s celebration: “Journalism Without Fear or Favour” as apt, stressing that, as the Fourth Estate’ of the Realm, the press must develop thick and uncompromising skin in the overall interest of the country.
According to him, the press has been in the forefront of the fight against the novel coronavirus in Nigeria.
He urged the media practitioners to take all precautionary measures, as they continued to enlighten the public about the dangers posed by the pandemic.
The governor commended them for their sustained reportage in conflict regions and, more importantly, in the fight against the insurgents, bandits and kidnappers, urging them, however, to tread with caution.
He lauded the resilience of the practicing journalists as well as those who had lost their lives in the line of duty, whom, he said, should be treated as heroes in the country.
Bello urged media practitioners to always imbibe developmental journalism through fair and balanced reporting.
He also urged them to sanitise the profession by identifying those he called ‘bad eggs’ among them in order to continue earning respect in the society.
The governor assured the journalists in the state of his administration’s support through the provision of unhindered access to information to enhance of the practice of their profession.
