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Alake urges media to ensure constructive criticism of govt’s policies
Minister-designate Dele Alake has said that the Federal Government does not see the mass media as an adversary, but a tool to put the administration on its toes.
Mr Alake, who is the current Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, made this known at a meeting with media executives on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, at the end of the day, both the media and government operate in the same society.
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“If we are practising adversary journalism and we create problems in our society, where are we going to practise,” Mr Alake asked.
He said the meeting was to seek the understanding and buying-in of the media to ongoing fundamental policy initiatives of the Tinubu government that were necessary for the country’s development.
He implored the media to practise responsive journalism, saying this was critical to avoid heating up the polity and misleading the public.
“When there is genuine course to criticise the government, do it constructively and also suggest and proffer solutions to issues affecting the country.
“It is important that even when we are angry at what is going on in the country, we should still apply that sense of responsibility in our reportage so that even after venting our anger, we will still have a society to live in to practice our profession and thrive,” he said.
On the removal of fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration, Mr Alake said without confronting the rot and knotty issues in the petroleum sector, we would just be groping in the dark as a country while feeding a few to the detriment of the larger majority.
According to him, if past administrations had been bold enough to remove subsidy on petroleum products, we would have had enduring structures on ground and would not be where we are today.
Mr Alake said Mr Tinubu came to office to make positive impact and to make a name not to acquire material things which he already had.
“The only thing he is fighting for now is legacy and for it to be said that in his life and in his time as president, Nigeria was strengthened out and put on the part of full recovery,” Alake said.
