In the face of misrepresentation of facts relating to a meeting held with Arise TV/This Day and media team of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, media stakeholders have cautioned against embellishment.
A joint statement signed by President, the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN)/Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), Malam Kabiru Yusuf; President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE,), Mr. Mustapha Isah, and President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo, said there was no need to embellish the outcome of the meeting, as what transpired was clear.
The three media bodies said although they agreed not to issue any statement regarding the meeting, they were forced to do so “when news reports began to appear that misrepresented what happened.”
To put the record straight, the NPAN, NGE and NUJ said: “Nigerian media stakeholders, including, NPAN Life Patron and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Publisher of the Vanguard Newspapers/NPAN Life Patron, Mr. Sam Amuka, President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Mustapha Isah and President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) . Chief Chris Isiguzo, last Sunday met with the leadership of the Arise TV and the Media Directorate of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Council, the two parties that were engaged in recent exchanges in the media.
“The Arise TV was represented by Mr. Nduka Obaigbena along with two of his top managers : Eniola Bello, Managing Director of This Day Newspapers and Kayode Komolafe, Group Executive Director/This Day Ombudsman.
“On the other side were Mr. Dele Alake, Director of Strategic Communications of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Mr. Olawale Edun, a member of the Presidential Campaign Council/Chairman of The Nation Newspapers.
“Also present at the meeting which held at the residence of Chief Osoba, was Mr Gbenga Adefaye, the General Manager/Editor- in-chief of Vanguard Newspapers/Acting Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
“The meeting was at the instance of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO).”
On the outcome, the statement said: “The meeting resolved that considering the fellowship among us and overall interest of press freedom in the country, the disagreement between the two parties should be settled amicably and without any preconditions.”
The NPAN, NGE and NUJ said “the main parties in this dispute have agreed to let bygone be bygone,” while emphasising that “any embellishment on the outcome of the meeting represents the figment of some people’s lmagination.”