MEDIA practitioners in Nigeria have been urged to see themselves as agents of a divine call by the Almighty Allah.
The Special Adviser (Strategy) to the Kwara State Governor, Malam Sa’ad Salawudeen, made this point while speaking as the chairman of a get-together organised by the Kwara State chapter of the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), in Ilorin.
According to Salawudeen, the journalism profession and roles of media practitioners are divine.
The governor’s aide implored media practitioners to watch their actions in their professional dealings at all times and put the society into consideration when pushing information out to the public domain.
“We would be judged by whatever we do right or wrong in our job as journalists. Journalists portray all role models in the society and we should not choose bad elements as role models, because we will account for all we do on earth. Ultimately, we should see ourselves as agents of divine call because our roles are divine,” he said.
Following multiple cases of ritual killing for money in the society, Malam Salawudeen, who is a veteran journalist, said there was the need for Islamic preachers to come together to preach against the menace towards discouraging such an act, especially among youths.
Also speaking, the chairman of the National Hijra Council of Nigeria, Professor Lanre Yusuf Badmus, implored media practitioners to always remember the consequences of their actions while performing the duties, “more so as the 2023 general elections are around the corner.”
Professor Badmus, who said that evil-minded political office seekers or administrators might take life-threatening steps to react to unpleasant news items published about them, advised journalists to be cautious and perform their divine roles with the fear of Almighty Allah.
“Media practitioners should not abuse use of their intelligence or any parts of their body because Allah would query every action now or thereafter. Journalists should follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and texts of the holy Prophet Muhammad.
“Muslim journalists should be different from other journalists in their approach to issues and practice. Journalism is a way of serving the Almighty Allah and media practitioners would be judged rewardingly or get punished based on their actions because journalism is not strange to Islam”, he said.
Professor Badmus also canvassed that well-meaning Muslims should sponsor workshops for Islamic preachers on the rising cases of ritual killings for money “in our society.”
In his remarks, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Malam Rafiu Ajakaye, advised Muslims to encourage get-together as often as possible, saying that the meeting (get-together) should be routine.
“Coming together would help to reawaken us to our duties as Muslims. Moreover, we are not just Muslims but Muslim journalists, we have the obligation to listen to all sides in every matter and exhibit the best of manners.
“That is what qualifies one as a Muslim journalist. Muslim media practitioners should always espouse rich tradition of Islam in their duties. Also, Muslim media practitioners should strive to encourage brotherliness among themselves without any sort of discrimination,” he said.
The state coordinator of the MMPN, Malam Abdulrazaq Yusuf Laaro, said the association, which was formed in the 1990s in Kwara sState, aimed to foster unity among Muslim media practitioners.
Malam Laaro, who commended the efforts of the pioneer Grand Khadi in the state, the late Justice Abdulkadir Oriire, at making the association to gain ground in the state, thanked other well-to do Muslims and organisations for their contributions to the promotion of Islam through the group.
The programme also featured reading from Holy Qur’an and goodwill messages from notable Islamic personalities.
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