The Muslim Media Watch Group (MMWG), has called on media executives in Nigeria to urgently review their policies and expunge religious programmes from commercials.
The national coordinator, MMWG, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, made the call in his address at the 2nd national conference and award of the association held at FOMWAN hall,Ilorin, on Saturday.
He maintained that religion is not commercial, saying that commercializing it is not in the interest of the nation.
“The MMWG calls on Federal and State governments to remove media houses from economic yielding parastatals and fund them properly to fulfill their social and community-based responsibilities without hindrance.
“Most electronic media organizations are suffering in silence due to neglect. Their burdens are passed to the generality of people who have anything to do with them through exorbitant charges for their adverts and the commercialization of news items.
“The idea of giving public media organizations targets which made them commercialize religious programmes to the detriment and against the provision of the NBC regulations is not in the interest of the Nation. Religion is not a commercial venture and must not be commercialized. Media executives should therefore take a look at their program schedules and ensure that justice, fairness, and equity prevail in the interest of peace and stability,” he added.
The guest speaker, Prof Mahfouz Adedimeji, who spoke on “Redefining The Media Space For Nigeria’s Socio-economic Prosperity,” posted that the media must be redefined and a policy must be developed to regulate social media.
He stated that professional journalists must wake up and be involved in social media content to provide an alternative to the unprofessional information that has dominated the social media space.
“In redefining the media, public interest should be placed above any other interest. There is a need for more accountability in the practice of journalism,” he added.
The eminent personalities who received award of recognition are; The Chairman/CEO Bi-Courtney, Dr. AbduRauf Babalakin SAN, founder of Al-Hikmah University, Dr. AbduRaheem Oladimeji, Chairman, Kamwire Holdings, Dr. Kamoru Yusuf,
Other awardees are the chairman BOT, MMWG, Mal Yusuf Ali SAN, Alhaja Raliat Sanni, and Halimat Yussuf.
Among the guests present at the opening ceremony of the 2nd National Conference and award of MMWG are Prof Mahfouz Adedimeji, the Governor of Kwara State, AbduRahman AbduRasaq, was represented by S A Religion. Zubair Dan Maigoro while the Emir of Ilorin was represented the Balogun Alanamu, Dr Uthman Abubakar, at the 2nd national conference and award of MMWG.
