Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajajiamila, has described the media in Nigeria as the foundation upon which the country’s democratic governance was built, through the sacrifices of professionals in the sector.
The Speaker stated this Wednesday in Abuja, at the official unveiling of the in-house magazine of the lower chamber of the National Assembly; The Green Chamber.
“The country has long benefited from the work of dedicated media professionals; men and women possessed of incredible talent and abundant courage, who risked life and limb to tell stories that exposed malfeasance and abuse and held the powerful to account.
“I can say with absolute confidence, that this democratic settlement could never have been achieved without the noble daring of the press. Those unsung heroes who understood the power of the written word and wielded it in passionate denunciation of the tyranny that sought to consume us all”, he noted.
According to him, The Green Chamber is “a platform that is dedicated to the practice of a true and noble journalism, acting always in the best interests of the people, rejecting the temptation to use the power of the word for evil, when there is so much good yet to do”, adding that the magazine launch was proof that it is possible to do journalism with integrity, in spite of economic pressure occasioned by advancements in new media.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor of Katsina State, Bello Masari, who doubled as Chairman of the event described the introduction of the magazine as good move towards ensuring the house tell its own stories to the world, adding that there were lots of good works being done, and not fully reported.
In attendance at the event include Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Speaker Idris Wase and Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed among others.
