The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti diocese, Most Rev Felix Ajakaye, has cautioned journalists not to misuse the media to foment trouble but for things that will unite the country.
The Bishop, who is also a journalist, while delivering a sermon on Sunday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, to mark the 49th World Communication Day, warned that the media could be used for evil.
The theme of this year’s WCD is ‘Communicating the family: A privileged place of encounter with the gift of love’, which the cleric said was very appropriate considering the important role effective communication plays in the family and the society at large.
He advised that the media should be used to promote sincere friendship, interaction, community living and avoid being used to promote enmity, division or destruction.
He added “It pays to jaw-jaw instead of rushing to war-war. It is better to build bridges so that other people can benefit greatly rather than building walls that are barriers to true love and friendship.
“This is why it is very important for the media workers to play a guiding and helpful role in the society, in this regard so that individuals and groups will now engage in the sincere and concrete use of the media in order to build new relationship of true love, justice, peace and development.”
The bishop advised Nigerians to embrace dialogue in resolving the mirage of problems confronting the nation.
“True love unites and builds, while hatred divides and destroys. No matter the situation, God-fearing and well meaning Nigerians are to maintain the struggle for real dialogue, respect and friendship.”
While stressing the importance of communication in the family, the bishop noted that without communication, there can never be any understanding saying communication promotes understanding and strengthens love and family bond.
Bishop Ajakaye described the family as a “divine institution” adding that through the family God’s gift of love is being experienced.
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