Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar
Malami, SAN, has described media-government synergy as a critical
factor in ensuring transparency and good governance.
Malami made this known when a delegation from Daar Communications Plc
(owners of AIT and Ray power), paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Friday.
This is contained in a statement signed by the spokesman of the Minister, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.
Malami observed that government and media have responsibilities in ensuring socially responsible and people-oriented governance through promoting checks and balances, as well as enhancing national
integration.
The Minister emphasized the imperatives of striking balance in media freedom and government control of the media said that “no country in tqhe world operates an absolute media freedom”.
Malami noted that governments of many countries in the world seek to regulate the media with a view to ensuring peaceful co-existence and to guard against the spread of falsehood, fake news, hate speech,
mistrust and other vices that could divide nations.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Daar Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi
(junior), explained that in a functional democracy, the relationship between the media and government cannot be over emphasized.
He added that the media remains one of the foremost participants in shaping opinion and setting agenda for many countries.
The Chairman, Daar Communications Plc, noted further that the menace of hate speech and fake news, which he said had become global problems, where communities in the world, have been earnestly struggling finding solution to.
According to Dokpesi, in Nigeria today, there are bills before the National Assembly, NASS, aimed at regulating fake news and hate speech madding that Daar Group is organizing a townhall meeting on the matter.
While submitting an official letter of invitation to the Minister, which Dokpesi described as non-partisan and non-political, he noted that the townhall provides vista of opportunity for the
Minister as the Chief Law Officer of the Country, to give insights on critical matters relation to media regulations in the country.
