Chris Agabi
7 September 2008
Lagos — Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and editor of Vanguard newspaper has assured that the guild would consistently lobby the House of Representative members to ensure the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) was passed into law.
Adefeye who spoke at the media training for insurance correspondents organised by the Chartered Insurance institute of Nigeria (CIIN) in conjunction with continental reinsurance Plc Friday in Ijebu Ode Ogun State said the passage of the bill was fundamental to the rights of Nigerians to access government information.
"The FOI Bill is useful to members of the public including journalist to access government information on demand which invariably serve as checks on government excesses," he said.
Speaking on the financial services sector he advocated "for synergy between the media and the financial service sector including insurance industry."
"Insurance business is confidence business. It is about trust. The media owe it a duty to promote confidence in insurance industry by reporting truthfully, honestly and in the most informed manner, activities in the insurance industry. Prompt payment of claims should be reported. New products should be spotlighted," he noted.
Based on this, he tasked industry operators to train reporters on the operations of the industry and provide modern working tools.
"If you give reporters say a Black Berry to enhance their reportage of the industry, it is not corruption; it is only when such a gift is meant to cover a misdeed that is corruption," he maintained.
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