From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Member representing Lokoja/Kogi-KKF Constituency, Hon Danladi Suleiman Aguye has charged communication scholars in the country to raise the moral quality of the media.
Hon. Aguye made the call while delivering a goodwill message as Guest of Honour at the 24th African Council of Communication Educators (ACCE) Conference, which held Wednesday in Kaduna.
The lawmaker, represented by his Senior Legislative Aide on Strategic Communications, Ahmed Balarabe Sa’id, acknowledged that, conversations about the patterns and extent of regulation is part of all basic traditions of evolving democracies, particularly as modern technologies in the digitized era continue to mediate spaces and markets.
He noted that the quality of the society will continue to depend on the moral quality of the media. Hon. Aguye affirmed that, government, just as citizens, benefit where media practice is responsible, as government needs to pursue legitimation of it’s policies and programmes within the realm of public opinion.
He argued that, even in countries fairly dedicated to free market, some form of regulation is necessary in the overall national interest. He admonished the organisers of the conference to consider deliberations and resolutions that will offer the necessary guide for quality legislation.
“It is proper to say that, we shall continue to count on the knowledge sector to drive the necessary intellectual input towards enhancing matters of legislation and governance”, he stressed.
The Guest Speaker, former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, identified the rise and growing adoption of social media as a major challenge for mainstream media in the country and globally.
He advocated for continuous capacity development for practitioners, beginning from educational institutions, as well as constant review of the enabling laws, towards greater professionalism.
Earlier, the Chief Host and Rector, Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Suleiman Umar, noted that, the realities of the new media has posed significant challenges for practitioners, users and government.
He commended the host department of Mass Communication for retaining it’s Hallmark tradition of producing quality media practitioners who have remained exemplary.
The Rector called on participants at the conference to reach vital recommendations that will assist professionals, policy, political office holders and other relevant stakeholders towards tackling the challenges necessitating media regulation.