The immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, has advised the government of Nigeria to steer clear of any form of media regulation and rather advise practitioners to regulate themselves.
Ishola said this on Friday in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, during the first year in office of the executive of the Ogun Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ.
The event featured a lecture titled “Security and Media: A Partnership for National Development.”
Ishola, the chairman of the occasion, noted that a self-regulated media would perform its role professionally and earn the respect of society.
He also charged journalists to report accurately with the mindset of protecting national security.
“News can be reported, but the ambience of national security is important. Why? Because the world is now a global village.
“When we were young, we used to see people like (Olusegun) Osoba, (Felix) Adenaike, and Peter Ajayi. We used to call them three musketeers, and their profession was well respected.
“I don’t believe in the government’s regulation of the media, but I believe in self-regulation, just for you to earn your respect and maintain a reputation. Journalists are well respected across the world. And since this is the cradle (referring to Ogun NUJ) of journalism in Nigeria, you have a responsibility to do that,” he said.
Those honoured at the event include the senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as the Senator of the Year; the Ogun State Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Omoniyi, as Commissioner of the Year; Elemide Oludaisi, a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, as the Lawmaker of the Year; and the chairman of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Ogunsola Adesina, as the Local Government Chairman of the Year.
