The Director General of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Hussaini Ibrahim, has been recognised by Blueprint Newspapers Limited for his distinguished service as a public servant in Nigeria.
The RMRDC boss clinched the award alongside other distinguished Nigerians both in the public and private sectors at the 10th Anniversary/ Impart Series and Award of the Blueprint Newspapers with the theme ‘Technology Innovation As Antidote To Election Rigging,’ delivered by INEC chairman Professor Yakubu Mahmood on Thursday last week.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Director General, the council’s Director of Finance and Accounts, Dr Abubakar Mohammed, lauded the newspaper for the laudable annual initiative which recognises and promotes service in the country.
Earlier, the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, tasked the media to set an agenda to create national unity for a better country, saying they have a crucial role to play in creating national unity and remodelling of public opinions, adding they can control the public emotions and opinion with a positive attitude, stressing even the best efforts of policy makers and government could not produce results without positive attitude in the media.
“I challenge the media to reaffirm their faith in Nigeria and rededicate themselves to their role as the fourth estate of the realm. That role asks them not to just produce the first draft of a grim history but to set the agenda for a brighter tomorrow for their country. The role requires them to responsibly moderate public debate, douse tension, resolve disputes including by providing context for issues, and help in stabilizing the polity.
“The Nigerian media must, therefore, always seek to help the nation turn it’s crises into wheels of progress. This they can do by providing useful information to calm the people and encourage them to do positive actions. In the current situation, the media should seek information only from a credible source in order to limit the spread of fake news. They should avoid information that is capable of inciting violence and reprisals,” he said.
