By Barth Ikiebe
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said he will address tariffs on newspaper and broadcasting materials to empower the media industry to discharge its constitutional role effectively.
President Tinubu gave the promise at the State House on Friday, where he hosted the leadership of the Nigerian media, comprising members of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Nigerian Union of Journalists, among others.
The President commended the media owners, editors and journalists for their commitment to informing, educating and keeping citizens abreast of developments, as well as providing employment and livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians.
President Tinubu said responsible leadership must take appropriate decisions at the right time, adding that anything to the contrary amounted to failure. He acknowledged the hard but critical decisions his administration had to take to save the nation from bankruptcy.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time. Yes, I accepted my predecessor’s assets and liabilities because I applied for the job and was given the job. So I have to do it. But if anybody tells you it’s easy, it’s a lie. I thank you for your criticism at the beginning of the administration. You challenged me. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me at a critical moment in my life.
“But having asked for the job and got it, I can’t look back other than to make corrections as I move along. We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink. Can you imagine a nation that owes airlines for ticket reimbursements and faces galloping exchange rates and inflation?
“Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back from the brink”, he further stated.
On the requests for his intervention on tariffs affecting the media industry, President Tinubu said: “We discussed issues of tariffs this afternoon. What I cannot report back here is whether I took action in the areas that affect you. But if I missed that, I will go back to rectifying whatever was necessary.”
He commended the media for its constructive remarks and criticisms, adding that as an ardent reader of Nigerian newspapers, he accepted all in good faith since “all of us want the best for this nation.”
President Tinubu called on the media to also demand accountability, development and service from other tiers of government, as federal government reform policies have made more funds available to the federating units.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed confidence in the President’s strength of character, resilience, and visionary leadership, assuring him that the Nigerian media have high expectations for his administration’s ability to steer the nation toward lasting progress.
The Minister charged media practitioners to continue to discharge their constitutional role with responsibility while holding the government at all levels accountable to the people.
Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the Grand Patron of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), commended President Tinubu for the bold steps his administration has taken, introducing transformative policies geared towards transforming the nation’s economy.
Osoba lauded the establishment of the Nigeria Revenue Service and the National Single Window policy, both of which are capable of increasing the nation’s revenue profile.
He lauded the President for charging the governors to ensure that the resources they receive through the monthly federal allocation are used to improve the lives of citizens at the grassroots.
Mr Frank Aigbogun, publisher of BusinessDay newspapers, spoke on behalf of the Nigerian Press Organisation, of which he is the president.
He commended President Tinubu for maintaining his longstanding cordial relationship with the media and sought President Tinubu’s intervention on
Import tariffs on newsprint and broadcast equipment.
Mr Aigbogun also called on the federal government to intervene to protect the jobs of journalists in Nigeria and the industry as a whole from big tech companies that use editorial content sourced from Nigerian media without compensation.
