Sanwo-Olu, Bala Mohammed, Onanuga Advise Editors to Checkmate Fake News Purveyors

Segun James

Media managers have been advised to check the activities of fake news purveyors, especially on the social media, saying this could help to safeguard the unity of the country.

The advice was given at the third LateefJakande Memorial Lecture, organised by Nigerian Guild of Editors, at EDMARK D’Podium International Event Centre, Ikeja.

The lecture had the theme, “Journalism and the Challenge of Nation-building in a Multi-Ethnic Society.”

Lagos State Governor, MrBabajideSanwo-Olu; his Bauchi State counterpart; Senator Bala Mohammed; and Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, MrBayoOnanuga, were among eminent Nigerians at the event.

Mohammed, who was the keynote speaker, was represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Aminu Hassan Gamawa.

He stated, “Indeed, there is hardly any profession better suited to train future public servants than journalism. For the journalist is trained to listen, to investigate, to challenge power, and above all — to serve the public interest.

“That was the philosophy of AlhajiLateefJakande. As Governor of Lagos State, his journalistic values became governance values: simplicity, honesty, accessibility, and efficiency. Jakande governed with the pen still in his heart, even if not in his hand.

“Even when he served under General Abacha — a decision that drew sharp criticism and even scorn — he endured it quietly, out of a deep belief in unity, nationhood, and the possibility of service in difficult circumstances.

“That experience is a reminder to all of us that sometimes, history judges not by the noise of the crowd, but by the integrity of the motive.

“The Nigerian press has endured and resisted oppression in many forms. Under colonialism, it fought for independence. Under military rule, it fought for democracy. Under both, it paid dearly.”

Mohammed explained that the challenge faced by journalists was not only external but also internal, adding that the digital age has opened the floodgates to the democratisation of speech via the social media, but also the dilution of truth.

Mohammed advised that journalism should not just be about reporting events, but also shaping the nation’s soul.

He stated, “In a multi-ethnic society, like ours, where language, religion, and geography too often define identity, the media must help create national consciousness — a consciousness that values justice, merit, and shared destiny.

“We must not merely be a federation of ethnicities. We must be a nation of citizens. This requires cultivating national ethos: values that transcend our differences. Respect for life. Rule of law.Dignity of labour. Truth over tribe.”

Sanwo-Olu, who was also represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. GbengaOmotoso, lamented the influence of social media on the practice of journalism.

He stated, “Anybody who has an Android phone can press the buttons and send any information to the public without knowing the havoc that it can cause.

“Our challenge is fake news. I believe our challenges, the issue of fake news, is now generating threat to journalism.”

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the media served as the mediator between the government and the people.

Idris, who was equally represented by Onanuga, however, stated that the media should carry out responsible journalism by exposing the unscrupulous elements who claimed to be practising the profession.

He said, “You can’t have a country without journalism – a free press. It serves as the mediator between the government and the people.”

But he said, “Our industry is being challenged, all kinds of people calling themselves journalists. Many misinformation in the name of journalism.

“The Guild should take note of the rules of journalism. You can’t say you are journalists without following the rules. We need to enforce the rules that governs our profession.

“Verify information. If you keep writing fake news, one day, we will set our country on fire due to these unscrupulous people.”

The chairman of the occasion, Professor Lai Olurode, paid glowing tribute to the late AlhajiJakande and his wife for giving him support throughout Jakande’s period as governor.

Olurode said, “It is very doubtful if any other governor has been able to surpass the performance in Lagos. Whatever he touched, he touched it excellently as if his life depended on it.”

In his welcome address, President of Guild, EzeAnaba, expressed satisfaction with the theme, saying, “It is relevant at a time journalism is under scrutiny on how to build a cohesive society by promoting native values.”

He charged the media practitioners to report in a way to have a stronger and more cohesive country.

Anaba said, “Our diversity should not remind of a sense of division. We must wield our power to foster unity.”