A Nigerian Journalist and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), North Central Nigeria, Abdullateef Lanre Ahmed, has called on the United Nations to strengthen global policies for the protection of journalists.
He warned that democracy is weakened when media practitioners are exposed to danger.
Ahmed, who spoke to Newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State capital described the media as the “lubricant of democracy,” stressing that no system of government can thrive without journalists who inform the public and hold leaders to account.
He condemned the rising cases of harassment, incarceration and killings of journalists worldwide, pointing to the recent deaths of six reporters in Gaza as an example of the hazards facing media workers.
“It is high time the UN General Assembly took a firm stand on this eyesore,” Ahmed said.
He stressed that if the United Nations must remain relevant, it should not allow superpowers to act as global police while also guaranteeing equal treatment of nations and protection of Journalists as a matter of international law.
Ahmed noted that a society that fails to protect its Journalists risks undermining its democracy.
“Globally, we have short memories. Something happens, and we move on without accountability. That must change if democracy is to survive,” he said.
The NUJ chief lamented that while journalists in advanced countries enjoy mouth watering welfare packages and institutional protection, reverse was the case for their Nigerian counterparts, who struggle with poor pay, irregular allowances and lack of insurance cover.
Ahmed said it was “unacceptable that those who work like elephants feed like ants,” adding that a media endowment fund and a dedicated media salary structure were long overdue to boost morale and safeguard professionalism.”
He also expressed concern about the rise of “journalism without borders,” where untrained individuals spread unverified information through social media.
“The trend has eroded professionalism and weakened public trust in credible news sources.
“Everybody with a smartphone now calls themselves a journalist. Society no longer waits for professionals; people believe anything they see online, even from unqualified sources,” he said.
On the Cybercrime Act, Ahmed noted that while democracy permits freedom of expression, rights must be exercised responsibly.
He cautioned journalists and citizens alike to avoid libel, slander and defamation under the guise of free speech.
Lateefah Ibrahim