By Joseph Edegbo:
The Chief Executive Officer, Dialogue Group of Companies, Mahdi Shehu has said that despite the current difficult situation in the country, Nigerians are being made to pretend that all is either well or would be well.
Mahdi who stated this on Wednesday during the Maiden Democracy Day Public Lecture and Award presentation organised by the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, said the Day should have been for mourning and not celebration.
”Most Nigerians are shameless and that is why Nigeria is sick. If we are persistently doing bad and we are not repentant, the judgement day awaits all of us”.
According to Mahdi, politicians delude Nigerians into errantly believing lies and inaccuracy of their stewardship.
Mahdi who was the Chairman of the occasion tasked Journalists to be upright at all times to defend the integrity of the country cautioning them not to allow their medium to be used to destroy humanity.
In his lecture, a veteran Journalist and one time Chairman of the council, Andrew Fadason described the June 1993 Election as the freest in Nigerian history, but was regrettably annulled by the same class that was now celebrating the Day.
Mr, Fadason who made guests at the occasion to observe some minutes silence in memory of the June 12, went down the memory lane on how some Journalist were killed in the line of duty under “bad Governance”.
He wondered how Nigerians in hard time could asked to celebrate an event that should be mourned.
Mr Fadason challenged Journalists to remain vanguard of the masses and hold government accountable rather than reporting events.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/CEO Pinnacles Communications, Sir Lucky Omoluwa has been presented with the Award of Icon of Broadcast Media Development in Nigeria by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna State council.
This was in recognition of his Immeasurable contributions to the broadcast industry in Nigeria including the enablement of millions of grassroot viewers’ access to digital satellite television.
Also honoured, were the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Enviplan International, Engr Musa Nimrod who got the Icon of Youth Empowerment Award for his unequaled contributions to the upliftment of the socio economic standards of youths, while the Founder, Deservation Org , Dr. Sani Adamu , was recognized for his contributions to democracy through effective mobilisation of youth to actively participate in politics. He was presented with the Young Democratic Icon Award.
In a remark, NUJ Council Chairman, Comrade Adamu Yusuf congratulated the recipients for being the nominees for the maiden edition of the awards to remain vanguard of the masses and hold government accountable rather than just reporting events.
