The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has thrown its weight behind the Punch Newspaper on its stand in the editorial of Wednesday December 11, 2019.
In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the union, Shuaibu Usman Leman, and made available to our Correspondent in Osogbo on Thursday, the union maintained that the Punch editorial was in line with the constitution and ethics of the profession to hold government accountable.
The union urged Nigerians not to see the editorial as an attack on the government, but rather as a constitutional role of demanding good governance.
The statement reads: “The NUJ believes the front page comment of The Punch, of Wednesday, December 11, 2019 which assessed President Muhammadu Buhari and his leadership style was not done in bad faith, but should rather be seen as an attempt to hold Government accountable as enshrined in chapter 2, section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“While some may not necessarily support the choice of language used in the editorial, but we are quick to note that this should not be enough excuse to accuse The Punch of habouring ulterior motives.
“It is our contention that the media must be allowed to carry out such responsibilities by insisting on good governance which include among others, rule of law, transparency, equity and inclusiveness and accountability. Anything short of these may not augur well for our democracy.
“We thus consider the said editorial not as an attempt to scold Government, but to hold leaders accountably for their actions or inactions especially as they relate to the rule of law which should never be viewed as “an exceedingly elusive notion.
