Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives spoke on the sacrifice of media professionals to break down the current democracy being enjoyed in Nigeria.
The Speaker who spoke at the unveiling of the Green Chamber Magazine and official lapel pin of the House of Representatives paid glowing tributes to the media for their sacrifice in being the current democracy to bear.
He said “the country has long benefited from the work of dedicated media professionals; men and women possessed of incredible talent and abundant courage, who risked life and limb to tell stories that exposed malfeasance and abuse and held the powerful to account.
“I can say with absolute confidence, that this democratic settlement could never have been achieved without the noble daring of the press. Those unsung heroes who understood the power of the written word and wielded it in passionate denunciation of the tyranny that sought to consume us all.
“I am now, as I always have been, a passionate believer in the value of a free and unfettered press. I am also, am an unrepentant advocate of quality and honest journalism. Today, there are others, who have themselves discovered the power of the word to inform and enlighten, to motivate and inspire, and have continued in that noble tradition of holding the powerful to account.
“They operate within a media environment that too often chooses instead to elevate the voices of charlatans and digital arsonists who exploit the democracy of the internet to spread fake news for clicks and profit and in service of base agendas.”
