President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decried the high level of misinformation and propagation of fake news in the country, saying ”it is threatening the fabric” of Nigerian society.
He stated this on Wednesday, Nov 15 while declaring open the 19th Nigeria Editors Conference 2023 held at Ibom Icon Hotel, Uyo Akwa Ibom State.
At the event themed “Stimulating Economic Growth, Technological Advancement: The role of the media”, Tinubu appreciated the Editors for their role in the fight for Nigeria democracy
The president who was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that the Federal Government is working to change the systemic moral decline in the country through the implementation of a sustained mass reorientation campaign.
He said, “We are faced with the proliferation of misinformation and false narratives which threaten the fabric of our society. It is our collective duty to combat this menace through fact-checking, responsible reporting, and promoting media and digital literacy with which we can fortify our defences against the corrosive effects of a false narrative.
“Against the background of imminent systemic moral decline over a long period leading to the erosion of our national values, it’s my pleasure to inform you that the Ministry of Information and National Orientation is working to change the narrative in our country through the implementation of a sustained mass reorientation campaign that aims to foster unity, patriotism and promotion of positive values among Nigerians
“We seek to collectively reorientate ourselves as Nigerians in the direction of a stronger sense of national identity and shared values. I will therefore appeal to all our Editors to support this campaign for national rectitude among Nigerians.
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, in his remarks, urged the Nigerian Guild of Editors to engender good governance in their reportage to promote the country’s democracy.
He said “I want to plead that you use the media, to engender a new template of reportage, one that is developmental-oriented, where our leaders are called to account without being overly obtrusive.
“No one desires a pliant media that acts like the cheerleaders to the government, but in trying to break the news, we should be careful not to break the fabric of the society. You need the nation first to freely practice your profession,” Eno said.
