Nigerian Media stakeholders including, NPAN Life Patron and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Publisher of the Vanguard Newspapers/NPAN Life Patron, Sam Amuka, among others last Sunday met with the leadership of the Arise TV and the Media Directorate of the ruling All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Council, the two parties that were engaged in recent exchanges in the media.
Other stakeholders at the meeting included: President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah and President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) . Chief Chris Isiguzo, while the Arise TV was represented by Nduka Obaigbena along with two of his top managers : Eniola Bello, Managing Director of This Day Newspapers and Kayode Komolafe, Group Executive Director /This Day Ombudsman.
On the other side were: Dele Alake, Director of Strategic Communications of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Olawale Edun, a member of the Presidential Campaign Council/Chairman of The Nation Newspapers.
Also present at the meeting which was held at the residence of Chief Osoba, was Gbenga Adefaye, the General Manager/Editor – in-chief of Vanguard Newspapers/Acting Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
A press statement signed by: Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf, President, NPAN/NPO; Mustapha Isah
President, NGE and Chief Chris Isiguzo President, NUJ, said the meeting was at the instance of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO)
The statement indicated that it resolved that considering the fellowship among “us and overall interest of press freedom in the country, the disagreement between the two parties should be settled amicably and without any preconditions.
“In the spirit of this gentlemanly agreement, the meeting decided that it was not necessary to issue a public statement”.
“However, we are forced to rescind this stand when news reports began to appear that misrepresented what happened.
”We wish to draw the attention of our friends in the media and the public at large, that the main parties in this dispute, have agreed to let bygone be bygone and that any embellishment on the outcome of the meeting represents the figment of some people’s imagination.