National Waves Publisher to Media: Continue to hold leaders accountable

Mr Jimmy Enyeh, publisher of National Waves, has urged the media to continue to hold leaders accountable for their promises to the electorate.

He spoke on Thursday in Abuja at an event held to mark the 16th anniversary of the newspaper and magazine.

Enyeh said the media as the Fourth Estate should not fold its hands in resignation as the “political buccaneers” continued to take charge, “amputate our democracy, subvert the rule of law with the rule of might and brawn.”

He advised; “We must, as journalists, stand up to their excesses by exposing them, and lining them up for public scrutiny.”

He said since its establishment, National Waves’ reporters had witnessed countless harassments and intimidation, “but we have continued to do our job undeterred, as we consider it a sacrilege to betray the right of the citizens to be accurately informed.”

He said: “We must through our reportage, editorials and analyses force our leaders to do the right thing. We should continue to hold them to account; we must not relent in persuading them to respect the sanctity of the social contract, and the will of the electorate on behalf of whom they hold power in trust.

“This democracy must be encouraged to be internally and externally democratic.

“We must persuade the current power elite in the power loop to allow credible opposition. Let a thousand flowers bloom, this is what democracy is all about.”

Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Baze University, Abuja, in his lecture entitled, ‘Elevating Nigerian Tertiary Education: Competing with Global Institutions’, said: “While the issues with Nigeria’s tertiary educational sector may cut across other sectors, the place of education remains crucial, if we consider how the productivity and efficiency of the sector can be positively permeating.”

A number of Nigerians were conferred with awards of recognition for their positive impact on society. [Daily Trust]