Chairperson of the Asiwaju 4 Renewed Hope ’23 (ARH) in the Diaspora, Kemi Olokode-Ayelabola, has tasked the newly-elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, to liaise with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in order to guarantee access to public information, which is in line with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“I wish Mr. Eze Anaba best of luck in this new assignment and also appeal to him and his team to build a harmonious relationship with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu so as to guarantee the right to access to public information which is in line with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other international instruments.
“Being a watchdog isn’t to make vicious or vituperative narratives but to offer constructive criticisms that will be helpful for the good and prosperity of the country,” the ARH chairperson stated.
Kemi, in her congratulatory message, to Mr Anaba and the entire stakeholders of the Guild, further noted: “The election of Vanguard newspaper editor, Mr Anaba to the coveted seat of President of the Nigerian Guild Editors (NGE) is well deserved.
“Many of us in the Diaspora who have been following his activities within the media space can attest to the fact that he is a thorough bred professional and highly principled in his conduct with high moral rectitude.
“He equally posseses amazing leadership acumen and qualities which gave him ingenious enablement to organize and support his peers as well as subordinates with perfect interpersonal skills.
“As a trained journalist myself, I understand the mass media’s influence on the ethics of public life, as characterized by the press’s watchdog role in monitoring the conduct of government officials which is assumed to be vital to democracy.
“Thankfully, we have a perfect democrat as President in person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who appreciates press freedom and right to flourish without restraints; impressively he is a owner of reputable media outfits with large coverage in Nigeria.
“More importantly, the right to access public information which is an indispensable element of a democratic space that enables citizens to hold their elected representatives accountable for the decisions they make and the ways in which they spend public funds must never be compromised; media must monitor government, business, the environment, and any other areas where the public interest seems to be threatened.
“However, NGE under the leadership of Mr. Anaba must always ensure that journalists are not seen to be biased, sensational or undermine national security or cohesion, but to be socially responsible in their statutory roles at all times as gatekeepers.”
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