The Minister of Information Labaran Maku has warned journalists to stop making insulting comments against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking at the Nigerian Pilot and Newsworld’s award ceremony in Abuja yesterday, Maku noted that the high levels of criticism in the media is been fuelled by members of the opposition parties in light of the forthcoming 2015 presidential election.
"If you look through our media reports, we see insults and abuses every day,” he said. “If somebody did not abuse Mr. President, it will look as if there is no journalism on that day. We are talking about our country, about setting standards for this democracy.”
He said that the president had “developed a thick skin against such criticisms" and advised politicians to be careful with their choice of words and actions, which he warned could destabilise the nation’s democracy.
“We should not go personal, but we are going too personal. We have completely ignored issues on ground and we are embarking on personality debates," he added.
He said that as a journalist himself, the way the media sensationalises issues and creates drama is not only annoying but wrong. He urged the media to remain impartial in their news reports and refrain from insults in order not to confuse people.
"I think the liberty which we are now taking for granted should not be so. The liberty you are enjoying today is because you have a president that believes in the rule of law," he noted.
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