Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Mr Paul Nwosu, has joined forces calling for the regulation of social media to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.
Nwosu made the call at an event organised by the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, ACSPN, which held at Godwin Ezeemo International Press Centre, NUJ Secretariat, Awka, Anambra State on Thursday.
Though the Commissioner noted that it is not necessary for a full regularization and censorship of the social media, he said prosecution of fake news peddlers in the various platforms would act as a deterrent to the practice and enthrone sanity in the media space.
According to him, “The purveyors of fake news in social media can now be detected through the aid of technology. They should be brought before the law and made to face the court for defamation, slander, character assassination and if found guilty, be jailed for such actions.”
Nwosu who addressed journalists shortly after delivering a lecture on ‘The Role of the Media In Stemming the Tide of Insecurity in Nigeria,’ also said time has come for governments to be proactive with investigations of the media.
He decried that some investigative reports from reputable media firms in the country are often ignored by governments in spite of the security problems of the country.
He noted that some platforms churn out investigations that can be very useful in unearthing true identities of kidnappers, bandits and other miscreants causing crimes and public unrest in the society.
He also said that governments stand to benefit a lot by listening to media reportage especially investigations and following those reports with regards to the existing insecurity.
“Where government has ignored investigative reporting from the media is why we keep recording cases of Boko Haram, banditry, terrorism and other issues disturbing the country.
“It is the media who has the benefits of having their ears to the ground to be able to report issues either overtly or covertly. Then government can now use this to activate security apparatus to check the insecurity problems.”
Also, former Chief judge of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the 2023 election, Justice Peter Umeadi, urged the security apparatuses to trace various sources of fake news that are causing harm to the environment.
He also urged the media to work in synergy with other critical stakeholders in fighting the scourge of insecurity in Nigeria, pointing out that abiding by the ethics of the practice is key to stemming the tide of insecurity.
