Minister of Information Labaran Maku on Tuesday in Abuja advised journalists in the country to agree on a template of ethics that would protect the integrity of the profession and professionals.
Maku gave the advice at a two-day conference on the role of the media in the constitution review process in Nigeria.
The forum is jointly organised by the International Press Centre (IPC), the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and a coalition of international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
The theme of the conference is `advancing the role of the media in the constitution review process’.
Maku, who decried the negative influence of some media owners in the activities of journalists, said there was an urgent need for the adoption of a set of regulations that was professionally-driven.
He said that the practitioners had to be properly guided ’’in this era of free press practice’’ so as to guard against acting according to the dictates of media proprietors at the detriment of the public good.
“What I am worried about today which I think we must frankly discuss as we discussed the constitutional review process is the need for us as professionals to agree on a template of ethics and regulation that will guarantee the continued independence of the media vis-a- vis media owners and partisan politics.
“I have always proffered this solution, that in terms of regulation, I do not really believe that regulation must be driven by government, i believe that proper regulation of the media must be profession-driven.”
Maku cautioned that the present challenges confronting the country could be aggravated if Journalists in the country failed to be properly guided.
He said that the constitutional provisions for free media practice in addition to the FOI Act could lead to abuses by practitioners.
Maku reminded the journalists of their constitutional role to deepen the cause of democracy and good governance through their reportage on issues that unite rather than polarise the country.
The minister urged the media to represent the diverse views of citizens irrespective of their socio-political status in the proposed constitutional amendment.
He counselled the media on the need to educate; inform and enlighten Nigerians on the various proposals for the amendment of the 1999 constitution.
“The media serve a very crucial role in ensuring popular participation in every democratic process, the review of the constitution is particularly important because as we all do know the constitution is the grand norm that guides all the other processes in democratic governance in our country.
“The media have a constitutional role as a fourth estate to propel this process by ensuring that we actively participate, we report the processes, educate the citizens about these processes and we get them to participate in the process.”
In his remark, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), said that the role of the media in the constitution review process was central to the success of the exercise.
Arogundade said that the media had a responsibility to educate, inform and mobilise the citizenry to participate in the processes that would lead to the eventual amendment of the constitution.
He, however, stressed the need for the media to capture in their various reports, the diversity of views of different tribes, groups and people of Nigeria.
Arogundade advised the media to be guided by professional ethics in the discharge of all activities relating to the constitution review process.
On its part, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) requested for an amendment to section 22 of the 1999 constitution to expand opportunities for free media practice in the country.
The National Deputy President of the union, Mr Rotimi Obamuwagun, said that the proposed amendment of section 22 would make it more relevant and effective.
He said that the union was also proposing that all government representatives in the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) board be replaced by professionals from NGOs.
Obamuwagun said that the continued existence of government representatives on the board of the commission was against the tenets of professionalism and fairness.
He reiterated the commitment of the union to encourage its members to support the process of the constitutional review to its logical conclusion. (NAN)