Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello, has called on media practitioners and students of journalism to uphold the fundamental principles of accuracy, objectivity, fairness and balanced reporting in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.
Mr. Bello made the call yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital while donating copies of his books to the Department of English and Literary Studies University of Ilorin.
He said there is need for young people training in media practices to return to the basic principles of journalism.
He decried the growing influence of what he described as “street journalism”, noting that the development has contributed to the spread of fake news, particularly where reports are published without efforts to verify facts or obtain the sides of those involved.
According to him, journalists must make deliberate attempts to confirm information before publication, as failure to do so could cause unnecessary crises and damage to individuals and society.
Bello who has spent several decades in journalism, said his career had taken him through various media organisations, including Vanguard and Concord, before joining THISDAY, where he rose through different editorial positions and contributed columns to the development of public discourse.
He said his books, which contain a selection of articles written between 1999 and 2003, were compiled to provide a historical account of Nigeria’s democratic journey and help young people understand the country’s past.
The THISDAY helmsman who is one of the 50 Unilorin ambassadors honoured by the University of Ilorin, disclosed that the collection initially ran into more than 1,000 pages before it was eventually divided into two volumes, adding that the decision was informed by the desire to preserve the works while making them useful to students and researchers.
Bello said he donated the books to his alma mater for placement in the departmental library, expressing the hope that students would gain from both the historical content and the writing styles contained in the works, as he stressed that “style is as important as the message.”
The Head, Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdullahi Kadri Ayinde, in his remarks commended the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Eniola Bello, for remembering his alma mater and contributing to the enrichment of the Department’s academic resources.
Prof. Ayinde expressed delight at the alumnus’ return to the Department, recalling that Mr. Bello was a student when the Department was known as Modern European Languages before its evolution into the present Department of English and Literary Studies.
The HOD said the Department was proud of Mr. Bello’s achievements and grateful for his continued connection with his alma mater, noting that the donated books would further enrich its collections and benefit students and staff, assuring the donor that the materials, as well as the wealth of experience and knowledge associated with him, would be put to positive use for the advancement of teaching, learning and scholarship in the university.
Also present at the event were Prof. Sola T. Babatunde, Prof. Olufemi Dunmade, Prof. Oyinkan C. Medubi, and Prof. Taofiq A. Alabi, the Director Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun and other staff members of the department.