President Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mustapha Isah, Wednesday, called on Nigerians and media practitioners in the country not to allow politicians to truncate the country’s democracy.
He stated that in the last one year, there have been four coups in West Africa which should served as a warning to all of us and the need to guide our democracy through good governance, openness and citizen’s participation.
He stated this in Yola at a 3- day town hall meeting/workshop for North east journalists organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with US Embassy in Nigeria with the theme: Agenda setting for sustainable democratic culture.
He said: “On no account should Nigerians take its democracy for granted or allow politicians to truncate our democracy. In the last one month, there were 4 coups in West Africa alone in which the military truncated democracy. A democratic government was toppled in Chad on April 20, 2021. We’ve had two coups in Mali in less than one year. On September 5th, 2021 the military struck in Guinea and on January 24th, 2022, Burkina Faso followed the dramatic trend.
“All these happenings in our West African neighbour should serve as a warning to us here to jealously protect our democracy through good governance, openness and citizen’s participation.
“Only the people have the ability and force to checkmate the military from truncating democracy anywhere in the world.”
He called on journalists to rise up to their constitutional responsibilities as the watch dog of the society to monitor governance and hold public office holders accountable to the people who elected them.
