Written by Betrand Nwankwo, Abuja
Worried by the incessant killing of journalists and the recent threat to the lives four of Abuja- based Journalists; the Federal government said it will convene a meeting of security agencies and media practitioners to find a lasting solution to the problem.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Prof Dora Akunyili, announced this yesterday while declaring open the commemorative lecture to mark the 2010 World Press Freedom Day in Abuja.
Only on Monday, media professionals in Lagos staged a peaceful rally to protest the killing of their members in some parts of the country.
Akunyili said the efforts to convene the meeting and underscored government's commitment to the security of media practitioners who, play key roles in promoting accountability, rule of law and good governance.
Her words: "As we mark this years' event, it is with a heavy heart that I recall the recent and unnecessary loss of young, dynamic and talented media professionals. The list include: Bayo Ohu of The Guardian, Edo Sule Ugbagwu of The Nation, Salihu Abubakar of NAN, Cosmas Eleagu of NAN, and Efenji Efenji of AIT. Others are Demola Adedeji of Punch, Sunday Oko of Leadership".
The minister said that those who died in the course of duty, however, died due to stress-related illnesses and because of the nature of their profession.
"Journalists are always working under great stress and tension from events to newsrooms, back and forth", she lamented, "The sad incident of the assassination of the founding editor of Newswatch magazine, Dele Giwa, and the killing of two Nigerian Journalists in the Liberian civil war remain wounds in our hearts that are difficult to heal".
"That is why the recent threats issued through text messages to four Journalists in Abuja are of great concern to government. She said the Federal government condemned all acts of violence and threats of harm against innocent Journalists in the performance of their duties.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mohammed Garba, urged the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to guarantee access to information.
According to him, the lair will not benefit only media practitioners, but the entire citizens.
The guest lecturer, and former Director-General of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Wada Maida, also decried the incessant killing of Journalist. He said that 79 of them were killed in 2009 worldwide. He also threw his weight behind the passage of the FOI bill to enable Journalists and Nigerians have access to information.
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