The Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, has pledged the commission’s continued partnership with the Nigerian media and other stakeholders to ensure that the country is safe for all.
The NHRC helmsman made the pledge at a media parley organised by the commission, Wednesday, in Abuja.
According to him, the safety of journalists has been an issue in Nigeria and around the globe, adding that most journalists operate under difficult conditions.
While commending media practitioners for their role in promoting human rights in the country, he urged them to continue to spread the gospel of human rights to every nook and cranny of the country.
“As always, the Commission had stood behind journalists who were incarcerated in the course of their official functions and will continue to toe this line even with increased vigour, given our concern to the security and safety of journalists and other persons living in the country,” he assured.
The NHRC boss lauded practicing journalists for living up to their constitutional responsibility of holding the government accountable to the people, saying: “May I seize this opportunity to put it on record that despite obvious challenges, the Nigerian Journalists are living up to their constitutional responsibility of holding the government accountable to the people as enshrined in section 22 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“There is no gainsaying that the media have consistently kept the public abreast with information on diverse issues, this has not only assisted citizens to demand accountability from the leaders but it has also enhanced citizens’participation in the governance,” he stated.
