Nigerian media practitioners remain endangered species, says Osoba

Former governor of Ogun state, Chief Olusegun Osoba on Monday said media practitioners in the country are endangered species because of the volatile environment in which they operate.

Osoba made the comment at a media roundtable on deepening media professionalism through co-regulation organized by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), alongside the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Guide of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and other media stakeholders in Lagos.

In his opening remarks at the event which held at Protea Hotel, Alausa, Ikeja with the theme “Deepening Media Professionalism through Co-regulation,”Osoba who is also the life patron of NPAN described the Nigerian media as one of the most vibrant and respected in the world despite the suffocating environment under which they operate.

“I can say clearly that the Nigerian press has been highly responsible over the years. We’ve been taking the interest of the nation as our own interest too. And part of our duty is to act as a watchdog not only on the government, but on both private and public institutions.”

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According to him, there is the need for the practitioners to come together and have a framework that will guide the industry, stressing that the media, being the fourth estate of the realm, shouldn’t be subjected to the whims and caprices of the government.

“Press freedom is never awarded. Over the years, we have always fought for the right to practice. We have been fighting the press council issue for over 25 years. I remember what led to the Nigerian Press Organisation and the production of a code of conduct for journalists. It was because attempts were made in the 1970s to set up a regulatory body for the print media. We resisted it and we have to continue resisting it.

“Our gathering here today is to discuss an acceptable framework for the media regulation in the country by looking at various proposals which ultimately are aimed at deepening media professionalism in the country,” he added.

Presenting one of the proposals, titled ‘Co-Regulation – Pathway to an effective media ombudsman, Azubuike Ishiekweme, Editor-in-Chief at LEADERSHIP Media Group, who is a member of the NPAN Committee on Media Self-Regulation, said the session was motivated by the conviction that the media needed to do some introspection and reposition itself for accountability and for the public good.

According to him, the committee which has Gbenga Adefaye, the Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard media as chairman; Executive Secretary, Newspaper Proprietors ‘Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Feyi Smith as Secretary, Kadaria Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of RadioNow 95.3FM and himself as members was given the mandate to fashion out a framework for a generally acceptable, workable and trusted self-regulatory platform for the media industry, both at the local and central levels.

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Ishiekweme said the committee consensus was on the need to employ a workable, self-regulatory framework to elevate the media profession, gain public trust and stave off strangulating government regulation.

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Gbenga Adefaye in his clarification explained that in recommending co-regulation, as opposed to self-regulation, the committee is mindful that one of the angst of the media to the Nigerian Press Council is the fact that a majority of its members are either appointed by the minister or the President, a situation that does not conduce for the trust among media professionals.

Earlier in his remark, Mr. Francis Nwosu who represented the Minister of Information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said the Minister would have loved to be at the event in person because of its importance to the development and growth of the Nigerian media.

Top dignitaries present at the roundtable include: Prince Sam Amuka Pemu, publisher of Vanguard newspaper; Nduka Obaigbena, founding Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Media Group and ARISE News Channel; Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, Chairman, Publisher, and Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Newspapers; President of BON, Mr. John Ugbe.

Other are: President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Isa Mustapha; National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo; President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Maureen Chigbo; Ray Ekpu among several other veteran media practitioners.