National News
Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria
Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria
Panelists at a conference on Media regulation in Abuja have again gone against any planned regulation of media practice in the country.
Speaking in Abuja on the topic: “The Media and the Defence of the Civic Space,” organized by the Kukah Centre in conjunction with OSIWA and the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, the panelists submitted that the media has enough mechanism to regulate itself and does not need any new law.
The team of panelists includes respected practitioners, Executive Director/CEO, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka, Former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian and Fellow, Weatherhead Centre, Harvard University, Emeka Izeze, Managing Director, Arise News, Christian Ogodo, Head of Current Affairs, DAAR Communications Plc, Amaechi Anakwue, Digital Media Strategist and International Speaker, JJ Omojuwa.
Izeze said Nigeria civil space predates the government as we have been having civil conversations in the country that make us Nigerians despite our social, cultural and religious dichotomy.
He said Nigerian civil space has grown in leaps and bounds, and has been responsible for the political development of the country, from colonial rule, through first republic to military rule, then second republic back to military rule until the new democratic governance.
Izeze said the civil space unfortunately is threatened now even more than under the military dictatorship and there is now a need to return to the vibrant Nigerian civil space which makes Nigerian different and distinct from any other nationalities.
On his part, Christian Ogodo said the universe is made smaller by technology which has brought everybody together and has changed civil space, making everyone a practitioner.
He said it has become impossible to clampdown on the media like it was done in the past when journalists could easily be locked up.
He said with the advent of social media, everyone is now a journalist on the move, insisting however that many with the prerequisite training have brought new challenges that need to be addressed.
He however said that both traditional and social media have mechanisms to weed off the chaff and should be allowed to grow unimpeded.
Anakwue said Nigeria used to have active civil space before independence which continued to expand until 1999 but now we have witnessed a space that is shrinking, lamenting that “corruption has affected everything and the media is being swallowed.”
He added that the pressure that has made it difficult for traditional media to effectively function is now taking up by social media.
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Alaka said the civil space is now tense and facing uncertainties at the moment in the country, calling on the media being the oldest institution of democracy to come out to play the role assigned to it by the constitution.
She said: “The fact we see today is that the legislators, despite the fact that they should be representatives of the people, are representing themselves.”
She however said: “Good that we have the social media to broaden the civil space but it has brought with it its challenges.”
Omojuwa said there should be accountability for the active participants in the civil space, insisting that you cannot ask for accountability when you cannot yourself be held accountable.
All the panelists, however, admitted that the media has in-built mechanisms to regulate its practitioners and need no external control or new laws.
In his keynote address, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hasan Kukah said the advent of the social media which has created “journalists” all over is not necessarily a bad thing.
He likened journalists to the faith community, insisting that “journalism and faith community are the same, just like the faith community where we have churches all over, the advent of social media has created journalists and editors everywhere.”
He however said there is no need for the government to introduce regulation as it is left for the people to decide which medium to be trusted.
Media Regulation: Panelists go against new law in Nigeria
National News
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
By: Bodunrin Kayode
President Bola Tinubu will today visit the Plateau state capital Jos to commiserate with residents who lost loved ones during the Palm Sunday shooting spree by criminals that took place at Angwa rukuba area of the city.
The President who was scheduled to visit Ogun state postponed his scheduled trip to Iperu, meant to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport.
From the Plateau, the President is expected to travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday public holiday which ushers the beginning of the Easter public holiday which rounds up the lent period.
A state house release signed yesterday by the Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga noted that President Tinubu will travel to Ogun State for the commissioning of the Cargo Airport and the inauguration of two commercial aircrafts for the export and import of goods, aimed at boosting the state’s economic growth on Saturday April 4th.
“He will also inaugurate the new edifice of the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service and its operational vehicles.
“He will return to Lagos to continue the Easter holiday, during which he is also expected to commission infrastructural projects undertaken by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“These projects include: the iconic Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge; the Lagos State Geographic Information System Building; the Multi-Agency Complex named after the President, and a school Complex.
“Before returning to Abuja, President Tinubu will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission some of Governor Duoye Diri’s completed projects.” Said the release.
Sadly several residents lost their lives during the black Palm Sunday shooting spree which is suspected to have been carried out by auto bike riding bandits following after their patterns in the hinterlands of the state.
These bandits who had tormented, killed and destroyed homes of residences of the Jos north axis of the state for several years after September 7th 2001
This damnation let loose on innocent residents is resurfacing after hundreds of killings had occurred in the Jos North council area of the state from September 7th 2001 till date.
And because of the myriad of challenges creeping into the federal security system sub regionals have geared up to manage their on police and Intel services which would assist greatly because they are masters of their territories.
The Federal government is fast tracking the process of state police to ensure that each sub nationals take charge of their environment to ensure that they support the center in the maintenance of internal security.
President Tinubu Storms Jos Today To Commiserate With Residents Of Angwa Rukuba Massacre
National News
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has said that in 2026, the length of the rainy season in Gombe State is expected to be between 107 and 138 days.
This is contained in the Agency’s 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) document, which Gayus Musa, the meteorological manager for Gombe State, made available to Our Correspondent in Gombe on Tuesday.
The total amount of rainfall across Gombe State in 2026 is predicted to be between 701 mm in the northern part of the state (Nafada) and 1089 mm in the South (Shongom).
The onset of the rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 29 (Shongom) and cease by October 22 (Yamaltu/Deba).
Similarly, in the prediction, four local government areas of the state, namely: Nafada, Yamaltu/Deba, Dukku and Funakaye were likely to be impacted by a severe dry spell (21 days and above) between June and August.
Musa while speaking to Our Correspondent on the first rainfall experienced in some communities in Akko, Gombe and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas of the state on Monday urged farmers to resist the temptation of early planting of crops.
He described the first rain as false onset, explaining that the rainfall was false because it would not support any germination as seeds planted with such rain would not survive.
“This (first rain) is a false onset because the precipitation cannot carry any germination and so any seed planted would not survive.
“So farmers should not engage themselves in planting but to prepare their farmlands while getting their seeds and other inputs ready,” he said.
Musa advised farmers in the state, to make use of the prediction in carrying out farming activities towards avoiding losses in view of the impact of climate change on agriculture.
He further urged relevant authorities in the state to take proactive measures towards tackling environmental issues associated with the rainy season.
NiMet predicts 107 to 138 days of rainfall in Gombe
National News
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
By: Michael Mike
The rumoured interest of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar in becoming the governor of Bauchi State come 2027 may have been confirmed he resigned on Monday to prepared ground for actualization of his political ambition.
The resignation was ahead of the deadline set for political appointees seeking elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.
In a resignation letter submitted to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Tuggar expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country and contribute to the implementation of the administration’s Four-D foreign policy strategy.
The former minister also appreciated the management and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the diplomatic community for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.
During his time in office, Tuggar was credited with advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through initiatives focused on people-centred diplomacy. These included humanitarian evacuations, facilitation of scholarships for Nigerians abroad, and sustained support for citizens in the diaspora.
His tenure also witnessed increased diaspora engagement, including efforts to develop a structured database of Nigerians living abroad aimed at strengthening their participation in national development.
In addition, Tuggar strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations through strategic engagements with traditional partners and regional alliances, particularly across the Global South. His leadership also promoted regional security cooperation and supported the formation of the Regional Partnership for Democracy initiative.
He also prioritised economic diplomacy, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for foreign investment, especially in the energy sector, while facilitating diplomatic interventions that secured the release of detained Nigerians in foreign countries and improved bilateral relations.
The resignation letter was received on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by Dr. Abubakar Kana, Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, ahead of the March thirty-first deadline directed by President Tinubu in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
Tuggar’s resignation was conveyed in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir.
Tuggar Resigns from Tinubu’s Cabinet, Sets for Bauchi Governorship
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