By Chioma Obinagwam
There is a need for the Nigerian government to continually support journalists because they play a vital role in bridging the gap between campaign promises and governance realities.
The editor-in-chief and chief operating officer of Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper, Musikilu Mojeed made this submission during the 9th Annual Conference of the Guild Of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) held in Lagos on Thursday.
Speaking during a panel session, he said: “The government hardly gives us support. The fact is that we all need the media when we are in power and mostly when we are out of power.”
Confiance News gathered that he pointed out that the media needs to be greatly empowered to deliver its duties as the mouthpiece of the people and watchdogs of society.
Although he acknowledged the palliative given to some media houses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of waivers for their debts, Muskilu believes that the government should strengthen their support to the media.
He frowned at the quality of leadership that exists in the polity. “Some of these politicians are never prepared for governance. There’s a disconnect between campaign promises and delivery,” he lamented.
Confiance News learnt that the Premium Times boss also urged journalists to embrace technology and innovation, which are powerful tools to hold leaders accountable.
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