Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has felicitated with Nigerian journalists as they celebrate World Press Freedom Day.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja on Sunday, Lawan said that May 3 was set aside every year to remind governments around the world of their obligation to facilitate and respect press freedom.
According to him, the commemoration of the day was also to remind journalists the need to respect the ethics of their profession.
He said he was proud that Nigeria has a vibrant media that have always resolutely defended freedom of speech.
The Senate President said that freedom of the press enables journalists to effectively discharge their roles as the watchdog of the society and Fourth Estate of the Realm.
“I also celebrate the Nigerian journalists for the invaluable contributions and sacrifices that they have made throughout our national history to nation-building and entrenchment of democracy.
“I pay tribute to the patriots who have lost their lives in the line of duty and pray that their death will not be in vain.
He promised that the
Ninth Senate and the National Assembly will never pass any law that holds back freedom of speech.
” The Ninth Senate and the National Assembly in general will never pass any law that inhibits the freedom of the press but rather work with the media to further enhance the practice of the profession.
“It is in this light that I call on the practitioners to purge their noble profession of the bad eggs whose nefarious activities are denting the credibility and reputation of the mainstream practitioners.
“The leadership organs of the profession also need to adopt practical measures to check the activities of the purveyors of fake news.
“My belief is that the menace of fake news is capable of eroding the integrity and credibility of the media in general, and this should not be allowed to happen,” Lawan said
