Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Media leaders yesterday turned up in impressive number at the launch of a book in honour of the Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, Prof. Ralph Afolabi Akinfeleye, at the Vice Chancellors’ Conference Hall, Abuja.
The book: Journalism: Communication and Society was edited by Prof. Umar Pate, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Kashere.
It was presented by the Secretary-General UN Nigeria National Commission for UNESCO, Olagunju Idowu, who described it as apt and a valuable book for scholars, researchers and knowledge seekers.
The book was launched by the Founder of DAAR Communication, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, while it was reviewed by the Acting Director-General National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Prof. Armstrong Idachaba.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who was the father of the event, described Akinfeleye as a standard touch bearer of excellence in matters of the practice of journalism.
Osoba, who was represented by the Editor-in-Chief Vanguard newspaper, Gbenga Adefaye, said Akinfeleye had done well in building the capacity of journalists and was a reference point in assisting the state to formulate the national communication policy.
While speaking to reporters on trending issues, Akinfeleye said that the federal government could not completely eliminate fake news from Nigeria because it was over 128 years old in the country.
The remark was on the heels of the clamour by the authority to formulate a national policy on the use of social media as it was seen as a platform by those who spread fake news and misinformation that aggravate national security and unity.
While Akinfeleye noted that fake news could be controlled, he nevertheless urged the government not to hoard information saying it was a power in any democracy.
“You cannot completely eliminate fake news but it can be controlled. As far as I am concerned, fake news came to us almost 128 years ago. It is an appeal to government never to hoard information because information is power to any democracy. Information is an equivocator which can provoke and unprovoke, therefore government agencies, politicians should see journalists as agents of change and they can only bring about change when both of them work together as partners,” Akinfeleye said.
Akinfeleye is the first African elected as council media representative Africa at the World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC). He is the Chair and past Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos as well as a consultant to UNESCO, WHO, UNDP UNIFEM and UNFPA, to mention a few.
While applauding Nigerian journalists for performing well in spite of difficulties, he noted they need to educate the public more not to doubt the existence of COVID-19 and the efficacy of the vaccine.
