Kabiru Yusuf, publisher, Daily Trust Newspaper has charged media establishments in Nigeria to direct national energy away from current negative discourse, by engaging Nigerians with issues of the national development.
He noted that the nation is at the moment at a critical juncture, and needs national dialogue to resolve some of the topical national issues challenging its corporate existence.
Kabiru made this disclosure Monday, while responding to question from BusinessDay at the July edition of Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Session (ILRIS) organized by Kano based ‘Center Information Technology and Development (CITAD)’.
According to him, the call by the media to drive and guide national dialogue was borne out of the realization that the media as an institution has a critical role in national integration and development.
“Globally it has been seen that the media is a vital agent of development and here in Nigeria one expect the media to be ready to check power. This role must be played along with the National Assembly.
“This role is what is not well played in the country. We have seen that governments at all levels are operating without taking into consideration the needs and interest of the ordinary people.
“A lot of things are happening in the country, in even under this present administration which most Nigerians do not know, which the media need to focus on” he stated.
The Publisher, cited the recent case of the presidential aircraft parked at a London airport that is attracting huge cost for country as one of the things that the media must focus on to reduce wastage in government.
“Issues like the Presidential Aircraft parked at a London airport are the things that one expect the Nigerian media to focus on. We know that this Aircraft was not just parked, but the public officials manning this aircraft must also resting in hotels in London at the expense of the government.
“To me this is wastage of public fund, and argument of some people is that if this kind of thing can be happening under a Buhari, who people is an upright man, one can imagine what must have being happening in governments at all levels.
“Unfortunately for us as people instead of the media to focus on this kind of issue, the media is busy engaging and promoting less important issues. The media need to redirect to issues like this, and others issues that can unite the country, and issues that will prevent us from coming to blow” he added.
Commenting on the CITAD, Kabiru commended the founder of the NGO for the constructive role the group has being playing promoting Information, Technology, and Development issues in the country.
In his address earlier, Yunusa Yau, executive director of the NGO, said the event conceived earlier as a platform for impacting staff of the group had now become an avenue for youth development through transferred of skills and experiences by the Guest Speakers.
This month ending of the leadership training attracted participants from the academia, Youth Organizations, senior Journalists, as well as young reporters from online media.
