ATTACK ON MEDIA PORTENDS DANGER -EX. GOV. DANIEL
The recent attack on media houses by Boko Haram portends great danger for the polity. Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, stated this yesterday during a solidarity visit to The Sun Publishing Limited corporate headquarters in Lagos.
The sect had attacked The Sun office in Kaduna and the Abuja office of ThisDay newspapers last week. Daniel, who was received by the Deputy Managing Director/Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Mr Femi Adesina and top management of the company, was accompanied by Mr Sina Kawonise, Managing Director, Western Publishing Limited, publishers of Nigerian Compass.
Daniel said: ' This is a visit in solidarity. The Sun is a newspaper that we are always delighted in reading. Over the years, you have brought a lot of life into news reporting. And a lot of us are your admirers. Not only that, quite a number of the practitioners here are people that we have known.
'When we begin to look at the events that appear to be unfolding in the nation and in the polity, especially when we look at what happened few days ago in Abuja; I was in Abuja when it happened, and I was one of the earliest people who went to ThisDay in solidarity. I, therefore, decided that in all conscience, I should come here.
That was why I was looking for the earliest opportunity to just come and let you know that we have always known this business is a very difficult terrain. And I can say this to you with experience. Newspapers are a medium that some love to hate and hate to love. Because you have to say it the way you see it. And sometimes, the way you see it is not probably the way we perceive things. But be that as it may, we all have come to the conclusion that there is more good coming from newspaper houses than bad.
'To that extent, if something untoward appears to be happening in the industry, all of us must in solidarity stand up. That is why I have found it expedient despite my own challenges that you are aware of, that I must come here. I don't want to use the word commiserate. It is not really commiserate, but to come and solidarize with you and to continuously encourage you that you must remain undeterred. And we appreciate that it is a passing phase in the life of our nation and in the life of the industry.
'And I have a very strong belief that if we all rise up like this, we can also morally persuade this same people who might be having ulterior motives to desist from whatever they are planning. That is the reason why I have come.'I want to encourage you, I want to plead with you that you should remain undaunted. You should continue to do what you are doing. Like I usually say these days, God is still on the throne.'
Responding, Mr Adesina thanked Otunba Daniel for the visit, noting that it was commendable and soul lifting coming from a former governor, who is also a newspaper publisher.