The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasaq Atunwa, has urged journalists to maintain the ethics of the profession and resist the temptation to be manipulated by politicians.
Atunwa made the call while declaring open a capacity building workshop organised by the Kwara State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists on Saturday in Ilorin.
The workshop was organised to mark the 2014 World Press Freedom Day.
The speaker said media practitioners must resist attempts by governments and institutions to ensure their reportage unduly favour them.
Atunwa said: “In this trying period towards the 2015 elections, journalists must ensure that they maintain objectivity and preserve the truth and facts.
“It will not be easy. There will be pressure to induce or entice journalists to skew their reports.
“There may even be threats to journalists and media houses, but I urge you to resist the temptation.”
Atunwa however praised journalists in the state for upholding the ethics of journalism.
Earlier, the Kwara State NUJ State Council Chairman, Malam Abiodun Abdulkareem, had urged members to take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act.
“This will enhance the promotion of press freedom and good governance in Nigeria, especially as the 2015 general elections draw near,” Abdulkareem said.
He said the NUJ would continue to remember the roles of the founding fathers of journalism and those who paid the supreme sacrifice in ensuring press freedom in Nigeria.
Abdulkareem commended Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State for creating a conducive environment for journalists to operate in.
Also, in a goodwill message, Dr. Mahfouz Adedimeji of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, challenged media practitioners to live up to expectations.
Adedimeji said they should not allow the prevailing challenges to prevent them from carrying out their duties.
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