The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Thursday restated its determination to assist the Federal Government to fight corruption in the country.
The President of the NPAN, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, who gave the assurance when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed paid a courtesy call on the association at its Secretariat in Maryland, Lagos noted that there was need to respect the doctrine of presumption of innocence under which an accused is presumed innocent until proved guilty.
The association also advised the Federal Government to first find the root cause of corruption, avoid arbitrariness and follow the rule of law in the ongoing anti-graft war, saying these steps are imperative if rapid results must be achieved.
“We will help you fight corruption because it is antithetical to development”, Obaigbena stressed, insisting that NPAN has always been in the vanguard of the fight and that it was not ready to stop now.
Noting that the new vista with which the government was pursuing its anti-corruption drive is a welcome development, Obaigbena said more mileage would be garnered and the campaign more enduring, if government fights corruption by building strong institutions.
Urging the government to adhere to the rule of law, the NPAN president pointed out that it would be unjust and unfair to lump people together and label everybody thieves, without separating the wheat from the chaff.
Earlier, Alhaji Lai Mohammed sought the support and cooperation of the media owners in the fight against corruption, saying it was not the intention of the government to intimidate anyone or group of persons.
According to him, the current drive behind government’s motive is the higher ideal of bringing happiness to the greater number of the citizenry, a desire which would remain an illusion without curing the corruption cancer that had eaten deep into the nation.
Drawing a nexus between corruption and development, the minister observed that it would be difficult to develop roads, railway, schools and other infrastructure if government revenues are stolen, adding that taking about the economy without first fighting corruption would be an exercise in futility.
He recalled his earlier pronouncement how the nation could be transformed into an eldorado, providing roads, schools, hospitals etc , if the funds stolen had been judiciously applied.
For instance, he said the total amount Nigeria was seeking to borrow from the World Bank or the African Development Bank or others is $3.5billion, adding that if only a few who had stolen from the nation’s revenues had returned a fraction or that the issue of the $20 billion had been resolved, the nation would not need to borrow.
Mohammed further hinted that in the next few weeks, government would be launching a National Re-orientation Campaign tagged, “Change begins with me”. The campaign is to complement other campaigns already launched such as National Security Awareness Campaign and the National Sensitisation Campaign Against Corruption. He pleaded for the support of the media for the new campaign
Present at the NPAN secretariat to receive the minister were the Publisher of Vanguard newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, Mal. Ismaila Isa, both Life Patrons of the Association, former Ogun State governor Segun Osoba, Mr. Ray Ekpu (both past Presidents of the Association).
The Executive Council members and other members of the Association who were on hand to receive the minister included Deputy President and Chairman, Media Trust, Malam Kabiru Yusuf; the General Secretary and Publisher of the Source Magazine Comfort Obi; Chairman of LEADERSHIP Group Sam Nda-Isaiah; Assistant Secretary and Publisher of Blueprint newspapers, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Group Managing Director of Champion Newspapers, Mrs Nwadiuto Iheakanwa and President of Tell communications, Mr. Nosa Igiebor.
Also present were Editor-in-Chief, The News, Mr. Bayo Onanuga; Publisher of Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike; Managing Director of Daily Independent, Mr.Ted Iwere; Managing Director of New Telegraph, Mrs Funke Egbemode and Deputy Managing Director of The Sun, Mr. Steve Nwosu.
-Leadership