While speaking at the First Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, (GOCOP), held at Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, presidential media adviser, Femi Adesina, on Thursday, assured that Muhammadu Buhari administration would not muzzle the media.
According to a report by Premium Times, the presidential spokesman, said Buhari’s administration remained committed to press freedom, and therefore not interested in gagging the media.
Adesina disclosed that he expected the Nigerian media to be responsible and to only engage in constructive criticism of government activities. “This government is not interested in muzzling the media in anyway,” Adesina said.
“We are committed to freedom of speech. Media should be positively critical, media should be responsible. Count this government out of muzzling the media.”
The presidential spokesperson told the gathering that he had been part of GOCOP from inception because members of the Guild are credible professionals that all stakeholders must identify with.
He said; ”When you see responsible organisation like GOCOP, we all must support them. I identify with GOCOP because I know it has what it takes to do the right thing. I have been a part of GOCOP from the beginning,” Adesina said.
In his welcome address, the outgoing President of GOCOP, Musikilu Mojeed, traced the history of the Guild, saying it has consistently engaged in peer-reviewing its member to ensure they stayed on the path of professionalism.
Adesina noted that the number of online news platforms has ballooned in the last few years, stressing the need to protect the cyber space by setting stringent conditions for online publishers to join GOCOP.
