The federal government has reiterated the importance of responsible social media use among Nigerians, while also dispelling concerns regarding potential media restrictions by the Bola Tinubu administration.
Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who gave the task after meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, also assured that the Nigerian press will enjoy better freedom under the watch of President Bola Tinubu.
The minister who called for responsible journalism also said that the President has saddled him with the responsibility of renewing the confidence of Nigerians in the nation.
He also announced that very soon the government will initiate a national dialogue on orientation and reorientation, with the goal of re-establishing Nigerians’ trust in their nation.
Fielding questions from journalists on managing the excesses of social media, the Minister of Information said that responsible journalism is the way to go.
He said: “While government and Mr President and all of us in that sector are committed to ensuring that there’s press freedom that freedom like I said, comes with responsibilities. A lot of things that some of these people on social media are doing are also not very patriotic.
“Sometimes you’ll say news that is not factual. But I don’t want a situation where it will be seen that the government is trying to gag the press. I want that to be underscored. There is no attempt by the government to gag the press. We’re going to do whatever it takes that is responsible, that is also accountable. Responsible journalism is the way to go.
“You know that Mr. President believes in press freedom, he believes in the freedom of expression and he’s not going to gag the press in any way, shape or form, he’s going to work assiduously to ensure that the Nigerian Press that has been free is even freer.
“But like I say all the time, this freedom also comes with enormous responsibility. You can’t just say what is not right because you say you’re enjoying press freedom. There’ll be freedom, but it has to be responsible freedom.”
Speaking on the need for renewed patriotism, the Minister said that the government of President Tinubu is trying to rebuild patriotism and discipline in the minds of Nigerians
The minister emphasized that the administration of President Tinubu is actively working to reintroduce the values of discipline, patriotism, and a belief in the nation’s ideals that were instilled by the founding fathers.
He noted that this will herald a fresh perspective in the roles of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and will place national orientation at its core.
Stating his reason for visiting President Tinubu, the Minister said: “I have come to tell the President my experience at the new Ministry of Information and National Orientation, he has given me a mandate of what to do.
“I went, saw the sectional heads of the ministry, I went round all the eight agencies under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and I went to charge them with the responsibility that Mr. President has given us; to reset that sector, to make it more functional so that once again we will have a very vibrant Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
“You know that the belief in the concept of nationhood and patriotism has broken down in this country, this is not in doubt. We’re trying to rebuild that and Mr President has given me a marching order to see that Nigerians believe in this country once again. We’re coming up with a national discourse on orientation and reorientation so that Nigerians can believe in their country.”
Idris also declared that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is in the process of formulating a comprehensive plan to revitalize the sector, an initiative he said is targeted at restoring Nigerians’ faith in their country.
