Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has warned members of the press to stop making inflammatory comments against the person of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that such will send a wrong message to the Nigerian public.
Maku handed this warning on Monday in Abuja at the Nigerian Pilot and Newsworld third annual lecture and award ceremony.
The Minister also noted that criticisms, championed by members of the opposition parties were not strong enough to challenge the achievements of the current administration.
According to him, those in the opposition are, “being sentimental about their criticisms and their comments are fuelled by their ambition to wrestle power in 2015.”
He said the president had since “developed thick skin against such criticisms,” and thus advised politicians to watch their utterances.
Maku said, “If you look through our media reports, we see insults and abuses, everyday. If somebody did not abuse Mr. President, it will look as if there is no journalism on that day.
“We are talking about our country, our nation’s institutions and democracy; we are taking about setting standards for this democracy, standards of behaviours, standards of conducts and standards of principles of behaviour and every democracy must be parliamentary.”
“We should not go personal, but we are going too personal. The media is supposed to be a mirror, but sometimes if the mirror is broken, it can give a false image. We must not destroy the mirror and present the image as ugly.
“The mirror is very important in conveying the good image of our people. We have completely ignored issues on ground and we are embarking on personality debates,” he added.
According to him, “The way we sensationalise the development of this nation in public debates, is annoying and it is not supposed to be so. I am a journalist and I am big time journalist.
“But there is a difference between reporting events and articulating a position because the media is supposed to articulate public debate. When the media embarks on abuse and insults, the people will be confused, that is not the purpose”.
“I think the liberty which we are now taking for granted should not be so. The liberty you are enjoying today is because you have a president that believes in the rule of law,” he noted.
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