London — A former British Minister for Africa Baroness Lynda Chalker has criticised the Nigerian press for focusing on negative issues rather than propagating the many positive things that abound in the country.
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the 13th meeting of the Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC) in London yesterday, Baroness Chalker said the Nigerian press "has let the country down". Chalker is the co-ordinator of HIIC.
"Nigerian media should focus on positive things which are there," she said, explaining that the international press usually picks up what the local media and Nigerians say about their country.
"Even people who have not been to Nigeria make negative comments about the country. If you ask them how the formed their opinion, they will tell you they picked it from the Nigerian media and Nigerians. The media should get their facts right and highlight positive issues about the country, she stressed.
She said a lot of progress was being made in Nigeria, which she said, "has real opportunities", but pointed out that a lot of the problems confronting the country were not being tackled yet.
Speaking in the same vein, Minister of Information Mr. Labaran Maku accused Nigerian media of "bandying" negative statements about the country and turning them into "declarations" without bothering to find out the facts.
"The Nigeria media is so negative about the country. They are not interested in believing the progress being made in the country. They are running the country down".
"You can't blame the international media, because they are re-echoing what the local press say about their country," he said, and urged the Nigerian media to be more cautious and objective.
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It goes without a saying that the truth is always bitter. Nigeria is indeed a very very rich country.We are rich in human and natural resources though,but there is a grinding poverty and a lack of all the basics of life taken for granted in this 21st century here in Nigeria. The Commonwealth of Nigeria has all it takes to be a great nation,But the painful and a cruel paradox is that Nigeria in its current state is nothing short of a failed state. Madam Baroness Lynda Chalker should come visit Nigeria before her tele-criticism and chastisement of our Local press. We Nigerians are irredeemably corrupt to govern ourselves.It were better for us if Great Britain re- colonize us.
Concealing the "NEGATIVES" does not create room for the positives.Nigerian media should be applauded for their fearless reporting;that's the true essence of sound journalism.Mrs.Minister speak for Britain.Nigerians are cabable of burying their dead. That reminds me, Boko Haram just killed about a dozen or more people, guess multiple graves. You see, we have our work cut out for us;negative reporting is not any where near the magnitude of our numerous nightmare as Nigerians.