A former Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr, has urged the media to enhance their professionalism and set the agenda to consolidate Nigeria’s democracy.
Nweke made the call on Tuesday in Enugu while presenting a paper at the town-hall meeting organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors for the media and Civil Society Organisations in the state.
Speaking on the theme, “Agenda Setting for Sustainable Democratic Culture” Nweke said that media practitioners should be well educated to perform their duties optimally and effectively.
The former minister said that as agenda setters if they were not educated, the information and education they sought would be tainted.
He stressed the need for media stakeholders to be equipped with the requisite tools and resources to function, collaborate and succeed in the task of strengthening democracy.
Nweke said that the insecurity in parts of the country was symptomatic of deeper issues of inequality and poverty.
He said that all tiers of government in the country must take urgent and sincere steps to ensure that they improved the living standards of their people.
“The insecurity in South-East is not different from what is going on elsewhere. It is symptomatic of deeper issues of inequality and poverty.
“This government and its successors must find innovative means to resolve these issues,” he said.
Nweke expressed optimism that the country would emerge stronger from the current challenges if the right policies were implemented.
In her remarks, a veteran journalist, Mrs Miriam Menkiti said that the welfare and security of journalists were also key to sustainable democratic culture.
Menkiti emphasized the importance of highlighting women’s issues adding that women were not given adequate coverage by the media.
The Acting Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs Ngozi Ngene commended the Nigerian Guild of Editors for organizing the town hall meeting.
Ngene said that the outcome of the meeting would enhance professionalism among journalists in the country.
The town hall meeting was attended by media practitioners, representatives of the civil societies and religious leaders from the South East and students. (NAN)
