Hold politicians accountable – Cleric tasks journalists – As Tribune marks 60th anniversary – Tribune
November 17, 2009 by Bunmi Awolusi
The Anglican Bishop of Remo Diocese, Right Reverend Olusina Fape, has charged journalists in the country to be more proactive and hold politicians accountable in their daily dealings.
Bishop Fape gave the charge in a sermon he delivered at a thanksgiving service to mark the 60th anniversary of uninterrupted publication of the Tribune titles by the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc. held at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State, on Monday.
Bishop Fape, in a sermon on the theme “The Tribune: An Indestructible Echo of Wisdom,” said journalists should hold politicians “accountable to the people who elected them by exposing their irrelevances and iniquities, as we seek to create new credible leaders.”
The cleric charged media men to ensure that they were not “culpable partners in short-changing the destiny of our people and this nation.”
To achieve this, he called on the Nigerian media to work hard to ensure the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, still pending at the National Assembly, into law and wondered why politicians were foot-dragging over the process of passing the bill.
