The Federal Government says if the fight against insurgented and militancy must be won in Nigeria, the media should play a major role by assisting relevant security agencies to quell them.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 15th Annual General Meeting and 65th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria on Tuesday in Ikeja, Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that the media should use their reach to sensitise the people to terrorism and militancy.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesigba, added that the media should be at the vanguard of the fight against corruption.
He said, “We are all aware of the challenges of insurgency and resurgence of militancy in parts of the country. The responsibility of the media, particularly the broadcast media, in assisting government and relevant security institutions in quelling terrorism cannot be overemphasised.
“Statistics have revealed that radio and television stations are major sources of information for most Nigerians. This is why government is putting so much effort and resources in achieving a more developed broadcast industry in the country.”
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said the statAmbode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said, “We are committed to promoting the broadcast industry to an enviable height. Our dreamed Media City project will be a one-stop media empire.”
The Chairman, BON, Yakubu Mohammed, said the organisation, in the last 25 years, had done much more for others than it had done for itself, adding that BON needed to be strengthened to make it more relevant.
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