Kaduna gov-elect promises safe media space for journalists

The Kaduna State Governor-elect, Senator Uba Sani, has hailed the resilience of Nigerian journalists on the occasion of the 2023 World Press Freedom Day.

The governor-elect pledged to run a media-friendly administration as soon as he takes over the affairs of the state on May 29.

Sani, who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the March 18 governorship poll promised that his administration would remain committed to providing “free and safe” media space in the state.

The governor-elect stated this in a statement on Thursday to mark World Press Freedom Day 2023 with the theme: ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights,’ released to journalists in Kaduna.

According to him, freedom of the press is a fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exercised freely.

He noted that such freedom which implies the absence of interference from the state, would be preserved by his administration.

Sani, however, added that such preservation should only be sought through the constitution or other legal protection and security.

He also acknowledged the importance of the world’s dependency on social media including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, noting that when shut down for several hours, “the whole world was impacted in more ways than one.”

“It was not just our daily dose of entertainment that was affected. There are people whose businesses rely on their Facebook presence and others who received calls for jobs on WhatsApp, who went into a state of panic,” Sani added.