President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday said he will address tariffs on newspaper and broadcasting materials to empower the media industry to discharge its constitutional role effectively.
President Tinubu gave the assurance at the State House, where he hosted the leadership of the Nigerian media, comprising members of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigeria Guild of Editors, and Nigeria Union of Journalists, among others.
In addition to giving thousands of Nigerians jobs and means of subsistence, the President praised media owners, editors, and journalists for their dedication to informing, educating, and keeping the public up to date on happenings.
According to President Tinubu, competent leadership must make the correct choices at the right times; anything other would be considered failure. He accepted that his administration had to make difficult but necessary choices to keep the country from going bankrupt.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time. Yes, I accepted my predecessor’s assets and liabilities because I applied for the job and was given the job. So I have to do it. But if anybody tells you it’s easy, it’s a lie. I thank you for your criticism at the beginning of the administration. You challenged me. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me at a critical moment in my life.
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“But having asked for the job and got it, I can’t look back other than to make corrections as I move along. We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink. Can you imagine a nation that owes airlines for ticket reimbursements and faces galloping exchange rates and inflation?
“Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back from the brink”, he further stated.
On the requests for his intervention on tariffs affecting the media industry, President Tinubu said: “We discussed issues of tariffs this afternoon. What I cannot report back here is whether I took action in the areas that affect you. But if I missed that, I will go back to rectifying whatever was necessary.”
He applauded the media for its constructive remarks and criticisms, adding that as an ardent reader of Nigerian newspapers, he accepted all in good faith since “all of us want the best for this nation.”
Additionally, President Tinubu urged the media to also demand accountability, development and service from other tiers of government, as federal government reform policies have made more funds available to the federating units.
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