Ghadafi said Nigeria should be divided into two nations to avoid further bloodshed between Muslims and Christians, an idea that has since elicited comments for and against; one from Senate President David Mark who called Ghadafi a mad man.
Babangida threw his hat into the ring by saying that it is impossible to split the country unless Nigerian journalists back the campaign.
He was speaking at the 55th anniversary of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held in Abuja.
Represented by Saleh Jambo, he lamented that journalism in Nigeria is drifting away from the ideals of the founding fathers who used the pen to unite the nation.
He said reports in the media these days tend to fan the embers of break up, as journalists assume the role of hatchet men in pulling down important personalities in the society.
The survival of Nigeria lies in the hands of journalists, Babangida stressed, and they must do everything possible to ensure that the 2011 elections are conducted peacefully, with credible results.
His words: “IBB’s wife is from Delta, what happens to the children when the nation is broken apart? Do you cut Aishat and Mohammed into two parts and give each piece to Delta and the other piece to Niger so as to satisfy the purpose of break up? Intermarriage has put to rest all possibility of break-up in this country.
“We are not prepared to kill our brothers and sisters in any senseless strife all because the interest of some minute group must be fulfilled. So going our different ways as some people will say, is not possible, we should learn to live together and weather the storm together. Collectively, we will reach the promised land.”
Babangida expressed concern that news celebrated by the media tend to divide rather than unite the nation, regrettably in line with the negative prophesies about the country.
He admitted that mistakes were made in the past, “But the right thing to do is to forgive and move ahead” in the task of putting Nigeria on the right track of development.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads politically, the nation needs the journalist more than ever before to put it aright. Journalists should play a noble role in helping the nation find its feet, rather than pushing the coach off the rail.”
He warned that no one benefits if journalists use their pen to cause disaffection, division, and confusion in the country – rather than stress issues that will put it on the path of development.
Babangida urged the media to do a soul searching and see if the tenets of the profession are being followed in the interest of Nigeria.
House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, shared the same views on the role of the media in ensuring the sustenance of democracy, and promised the commitment of the House to the ideals of democracy and to help facilitate the work of the media.
His words: “Over and beyond the good story we have told about our modest successes in different sectors of the economy, there are challenges that must be surmounted for us to be able to realise the full potentialities of this blessed nation.
“We are working on achieving a comprehensive electoral reform to attain free, fair, and credible elections. We must restore the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral process, which is a key ingredient of a good democracy.
“We also know that elections alone do not make a good democracy. There must be some dividends provided by the state.”
Information and Communications Minister, Dora Akunyili, represented by her Minister of State, Labaran Maku, also stressed the imperative of conscientious contribution to nation development by the media.
She urged journalists to purge themselves of tendencies that ridicule their profession.
“The outside world perceives Nigeria at a glance from our own media. The Ministry of Information and Communications believes that for the media to play other important roles required in a democracy, the media may need to engage in some internal reforms.
“The reforms should cover such important areas as enforcement of professional ethics, capacity building, staff welfare, among others. Although the business environment is not easy for the news media, the current condition of service of most journalists ought to be addressed to enhance their productivity. This is the case both for the public and private media houses,” she said.
NUJ President Garba Mohamed expressed fears about the survival of democracy in Nigeria, where there is a “shortage of quality leadership at all levels of the society, which is responsible for high level of poverty, corruption, indiscipline, greed, intolerance and lack of accountability
“People seem to have misunderstood politics as a means of enriching themselves rather than a vehicle toward the realisation of our collective hopes and aspirations for good governance, human development, and economic prosperity.”
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