Ima Niboro, the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, has extolled the professional conduct exhibited so far by Nigerian journalists in their reportage of various activities preceding the 2015 General Elections.
Niboro, who was represented by Akin Makanjoula, an editor with the agency, made this known at the National Prayer session organised by journalists from NAN, FRCN, VON, NTA and the Federal Ministry of Information.
The event was organised to pray for the safety of all journalists who would be involved in the coverage of the elections and for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
The managing director said it was needful to pray for the peaceful conduct of forthcoming elections.
Niboro said: “We are all living witnesses of what is happening in our country.
“We discovered that things are not as they ought to be and we believe that we need to seek spiritual dimension.
“So, journalists, having put in all their efforts and knowing that without the help of God their labour will be in vain, hence the need to seek the face of God.”
While noting that journalists fought for the independence of this country, Niboro urged them to ensure the sustenance of the current democratic dispensation.
He said: “Journalists fought for the independence of this country, so you don’t build a house and then use your hand to destroy it.
“And those who are saying that journalists are the problem of this country, have what I call wrong understanding of what journalism is all about.
“Journalists are the builders of the nation, stabilizers, information givers, information managers and I can imagine a nation without journalists.”
Also speaking, the guest speaker, Pastor Gbenga Barnabas, admonished Nigerians to love their country, stressing that where there was no love, nothing good would happen in such environment.
According to Barnabas, Nigeria is a God’s project and cannot fail.
He declared that forces working against the country would not prosper.
Meanwhile, journalists who gathered for the prayer urged the government to provide adequate security for their safety.