Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace has called on journalists nationwide to shun divisive and negative reportage of issues about Nigeria.
Mallam Ndace called at the weekend in Osogbo, Osun State while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of his visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, in his palace.
The DG urged operatives within the media space to be responsible and sensitive to the nation’s mood, tasking them on amplifying good stories emanating from the country.
He said doing that would not only present the true and complete picture of the Nigerian situation, but it would also eliminate the danger of presenting a one-sided story.
He said: “I am here first in Osogbo, Osun State at the Zonal Office of Voice of Nigeria to connect with my colleagues from all the six states in the southwest. This is because we are on a mission to reposition VON to be the first to tell the Nigerian story to the world.
“We, as journalists and citizens, must however understand that we have a country, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to repositioning the country, but his good intentions will not materialise, if as journalists, both in public and private organisations, we do not help in escalating the positivity about our country.”
The VON boss explained that even though the country might be passing through a rough patch at the moment, responsible journalists must present the government’s efforts at managing every challenging situation.
He reminded journalists that as there are two sides to a coin, there are positive and negative stories emanating from every country of the world, but as humans who desire to have the best, we must always play up on the positives.
“Nigeria and Africa are not perfect, but good stories are coming out of Nigeria and Africa daily We need therefore to be deliberate and intentional in shaping our narratives because if we cast our country in a bad light, outsiders will faithfully believe the misrepresentation,” he said.
The VON DG who is equally a journalist charged his practicing colleagues to be professional in their reportage, stressing the need to adopt fairness, balance and patriotism in whatever they report.
He emphasised further the need to prioritise the unity and progress of the country by putting out unique and beautiful narratives about the country, particularly in the areas of culture, tradition, and tourism.
Ndace reiterated: “That is why I am here to continue to report about this important assignment to the world and to ensure that Voice of Nigeria creates top-of-the-mind awareness about the good stories coming out of the various states in the federation”
The DG concluded by stressing that as Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, working with his team, he would steer the organization to take the lead in reshaping positive narratives about Nigeria.
Dominica Nwabufo
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