Press Freedom Shouldn’t Be Restrained, Fayemi Warns

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has restated
that the freedom of the press shouldn’t be repressed in the country
despite the perceived inadequacies on the part of some
practitioners.

Fayemi insisted that no matter the excesses being exhibited by
the press, that under no guise should its freedom be abridged or
tinkered with.

The Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, spoke in Ado Ekiti, on
Thursday evening, during a dinner organised by the Catholic Bishop
of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, for members of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti Council.

Fayemi contended that journalists had etched their names
indelibly in the history of the country, having at various times
fought for Nigeria’s independence and cleared the way for Nigeria
to navigate to constitutional democracy from the military
junta.

“In the fight for our Independence and the sustained agitations
against military for the journey to Nigeria democracy, journalists
played prominent roles, even at the risk of their lives and
jobs.

“The press stands for the people. It is the voice of the
voiceless. Though, you may have some things that appeared so
terrifying now that we have social media, because of lack of
control, but you still have to go to the mainstream journalism to
confirm, because they have control and gatekeepers, who can be held
accountable.

“Even if there are excesses, the freedom of the press should not
be restrained. We should look for other ways to correct these
perceived inadequacies.”

Fayemi said governing Ekiti had been so challenging since 2018
due to paucity of funds, saying he would continue to look for
humble ways to seek understanding of Ekiti people about his
policies and delivery while also maintaining prudence in the
management of the state’s scarce resources.

Based on the request of the NUJ Chairman in Ekiti, Comrade
Rotimi Ojomoyela, demanding a befitting Press Centre from the
government, Fayemi promised to set machinery in motion to ensure
that the project comes to fruition.

Bishop Ajakaye, who advised Fayemi against leaving politics for
dirty people after bowing out in 2022, charged him to look inwards
and bring a successor that can sustain and consolidate the gains of
democracy for Ekiti citizens after his departure.

Advising Fayemi, the cleric, who is also a journalist, said:
“Don’t leave politics for those who do things the old ways.

“Politics is not a dirty game, but we have dirty people in it. I
will call Governor Fayemi and his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi to come
and face us after leaving office and plead with them not to leave
politics for those who loved to do things the old ways.

“I have also told him to give us a good successor, because
success without a good successor is a failure in reality,” he
stated.

The Catholic Bishop promised the realisation of his vision to
raise a sum of N1 billion to fund education and health in the
state, branding the two sectors as pivotal to the survival of
Ekiti.

Bishop Ajakaye described the dinner, attended by journalists,
political appointees, heads of security formations and higher
institutions in Ekiti, as a way of recognising the newsmen for
their roles in building a Nigerian society we can be proud of.

The NUJ chairman applauded the Bishop for his immeasurable love
for journalists operating in the state, assuring that his
colleagues would continue to exhibit and promote those ideas that
would add panache to journalism practice.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has restated
that the freedom of the press shouldn’t be repressed in the country
despite the perceived inadequacies on the part of some
practitioners.

Fayemi insisted that no matter the excesses being exhibited by
the press, that under no guise should its freedom be abridged or
tinkered with.

The Chairman, Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, spoke in Ado Ekiti, on
Thursday evening, during a dinner organised by the Catholic Bishop
of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, for members of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti Council.

Fayemi contended that journalists had etched their names
indelibly in the history of the country, having at various times
fought for Nigeria’s independence and cleared the way for Nigeria
to navigate to constitutional democracy from the military
junta.

“In the fight for our Independence and the sustained agitations
against military for the journey to Nigeria democracy, journalists
played prominent roles, even at the risk of their lives and
jobs.

“The press stands for the people. It is the voice of the
voiceless. Though, you may have some things that appeared so
terrifying now that we have social media, because of lack of
control, but you still have to go to the mainstream journalism to
confirm, because they have control and gatekeepers, who can be held
accountable.

“Even if there are excesses, the freedom of the press should not
be restrained. We should look for other ways to correct these
perceived inadequacies.”

Fayemi said governing Ekiti had been so challenging since 2018
due to paucity of funds, saying he would continue to look for
humble ways to seek understanding of Ekiti people about his
policies and delivery while also maintaining prudence in the
management of the state’s scarce resources.

Based on the request of the NUJ Chairman in Ekiti, Comrade
Rotimi Ojomoyela, demanding a befitting Press Centre from the
government, Fayemi promised to set machinery in motion to ensure
that the project comes to fruition.

Bishop Ajakaye, who advised Fayemi against leaving politics for
dirty people after bowing out in 2022, charged him to look inwards
and bring a successor that can sustain and consolidate the gains of
democracy for Ekiti citizens after his departure.

Advising Fayemi, the cleric, who is also a journalist, said:
“Don’t leave politics for those who do things the old ways.

“Politics is not a dirty game, but we have dirty people in it. I
will call Governor Fayemi and his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi to come
and face us after leaving office and plead with them not to leave
politics for those who loved to do things the old ways.

“I have also told him to give us a good successor, because
success without a good successor is a failure in reality,” he
stated.

The Catholic Bishop promised the realisation of his vision to
raise a sum of N1 billion to fund education and health in the
state, branding the two sectors as pivotal to the survival of
Ekiti.

Bishop Ajakaye described the dinner, attended by journalists,
political appointees, heads of security formations and higher
institutions in Ekiti, as a way of recognising the newsmen for
their roles in building a Nigerian society we can be proud of.

The NUJ chairman applauded the Bishop for his immeasurable love
for journalists operating in the state, assuring that his
colleagues would continue to exhibit and promote those ideas that
would add panache to journalism practice.