THE Federal Government says it has no plan to gag the media despite the ban on Twitter.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the government’s position on the regulation was in furtherance of national interest which was in line with global best practices.
Mohammed spoke today at the opening of a 2-day 2021 edition of the Annual Roundtable on Cultural Orientation (ARTCO) by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
According to the minister, no responsible government will allow enemies of Nigeria use media as a tool to destabilise the nation.
He said the phenomenon of fake news and hate speeches which has dominated the social media space is detrimental to the nation’s peace, security and national cohesion.
He therefore appealed to the media to ‘shun sensational reporting and eschew fake news’ to prevent or de-escalate conflicts.
The minister reassurd that President Buhari would continue to ensure enabling environment for a robust media practice exists in Nigeria.
He said “Contrary to insinuation in some quarters, this government has no plans to muzzle the media. It appreciates the media as a strategic partner in our determination to foster the socio-economic and political development of our nation”.
Speaking on the theme of the roundtable “Culture, Media and Nation Cohesion”, Mohammed said that the neglect of culture and the breakdown of cherished cultural values have contributed largely to the myriad challenges bedeviling our nation today.
He said that urgent and concerted efforts are therefore required for cultural reconstruction and reawakening to achieve the much-desired socio-political and economic progress.
“The other dimension of the theme of this conference is the role of the media in fostering national cohesion. The media is an indispensable institution in modern and democratic societies. As the fourth estate of the realm and watchdog of society with constitutional backing, media has a pivotal role to play in the progress and well being of society”, he said.
