2023: Bello charges media to set agenda for emergence of good leadership

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has charged the media to set the agenda for the emergence of good leadership in the country.

Bello said he was confident that the media would achieve this goal if they are patriotic and fair in their reportage.

The Governor said that Nigerians were craving for good leadership but pointed out such a lofty goal could only be achieved if the media is fair to all those aspiring to be president of the country in 2023.

“The media must be fair to all aspirants to enable Nigerians to elect the best. With good leadership, Nigeria will be the best country in the world,” Bello said at the beginning of a two-day conference tagged “Second Annual GYB Seminar for Political and Crime Correspondents,” which began Friday, in Abuja.

Bello said it was the role of the media to set the agenda for good leadership to emerge, warning that Nigeria may slide into the abyss if it fails to produce good leadership in 2023.

“It is either we get Nigeria to be better or we return to the past. The media must give the effort good and appropriate reportage,” he said.

He noted that the media holds governments accountable because the people desire a crime-free society which informs why the media must ensure that governments do well.

Bello charged the media to avoid publishing fake news because of the great harm to it was doing to the society. “When we carry fake news, it causes a lot of destruction,” he said.

The governor explained that his aspiration to become the president of Nigeria was aimed providing a people-oriented government that would protect the interest of all segments of society and end any form of segregation in the country. “I joined the presidential race to give hope to the hopeless,” he added.

Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, while welcoming participants, explained that the focus of the second edition of the Governor Yahaya Bello (GYB) Annual Seminar was setting agenda for the 2023 general elections.

“In this edition, we shall be looking at setting the agenda for 2023. The media should set the agenda. What are the issues that should be the talking point with regard to 2023,” the Commissioner said.

In his remarks, National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo, noted that by facilitating the Seminar, Governor Bello was eliminating “poison” from Nigerian politics because the language the media would speak would shape the 2023 politics.

Isiguzo pointed out that politics and insecurity were the two current dominant issues in Nigeria and expressed hope that the seminar would expose participants to the use of moderate languages that would ensure that peace and tranquility reined in the build up to, during and after the 2023 elections.

He commended Governor Bello for this contribution to building a united Nigeria.

Also, President of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mallam Mustapha Isa, who made similar observations like the NUJ President, lauded Governor Bello for facilitating the Seminar.

Four papers presented on the first day were: “Impact of a youthful government on the development of a state/country,” by the Chief of Staff to Governor Bello, Pharmacist Abdulkareem Jamiu Asuku; “Succeeding in the fight against Insecurity, terrorism: The Kogi State example,” by the Kogi State Security Adviser, Navy Commander Jerry Omodara (Retd.); “Setting agenda for 2023 elections,” by Senior Vice Chairman/Editor-In-Chief, Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene and “Constructive reporting in crisis situation,” by Dr. Reuben Abati.

Participants include Editors and Correspondents drawn from across the country.