The
Minister of Information Labaran Maku has warned journalists to stop
making insulting comments against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking
at the Nigerian Pilot and Newsworld’s award ceremony in Abuja
yesterday, Maku noted that the high levels of criticism in the media is
been fuelled by members of the opposition parties in light of the
forthcoming 2015 presidential election.
"If
you look through our media reports, we see insults and abuses every
day,” he said. “If somebody did not abuse Mr. President, it will look as
if there is no journalism on that day. We are talking about our
country, about setting standards for this democracy.”
He
said that the president had “developed a thick skin against such
criticisms" and advised politicians to be careful with their choice of
words and actions, which he warned could destabilise the nation’s
democracy.
“We
should not go personal, but we are going too personal. We have
completely ignored issues on ground and we are embarking on personality
debates," he added.
He
said that as a journalist himself, the way the media sensationalises
issues and creates drama is not only annoying but wrong. He urged the
media to remain impartial in their news reports and refrain from insults
in order not to confuse people.
"I think the liberty which we are now taking for granted should not be so. The liberty you are enjoying today is because you have a president that believes in the rule of law," he noted.
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