Buratai Tasks Online Publishers On National Development

<h4>Buratai Tasks Online Publishers On National Development<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that former Chief of Army Staff and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin&comma; Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai &lpar;Rtd&rpar;&comma; has praised new media as an instrument for good governance and the growth of democracy because of its potential to hold politicians accountable&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ambassador Buratai made the statement in Abuja during the 2023 Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers &lpar;GOCOP&rpar;&period; Represented by his Special Adviser on Research and Documentation and Acting Director&comma; Tukur Buratai Research Centre&comma; Dr&period; MS Abubakar&comma; the former Army Chief stated that he has always valued the vitality of online media in their reach&comma; penetration&comma; speed&comma; and durability&period; In his words&colon; As we all consider the media to be the fourth estate of the realm&comma; then the online component of the media should be compared to the Infantry Corps of an Army&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>To an Army&comma; the Infantry is the Queen of Battle&period; Therefore I see the Online Publisher as the Queen of the Media&period; Real power revolves around the Queen&period;” General Buratai went on to say that&comma; unlike traditional or print media&comma; online media can reach millions of people all over the world in minutes with just one click&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Because of its low cost&comma; he maintained that online media has made a big contribution to informing&comma; educating&comma; and entertaining the general people&period; While praising the adaptability of online media&comma; Buratai pointed out some undesirable developments&comma; such as the extensive use of propaganda&comma; half-truths&comma; manufactured lies&comma; and fake news&comma; as unintended repercussions of the development&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He urged the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers to put a stop to those who violate its corporate objectives by standing firm and ensuring that all practitioners in the online media adhere to ethical standards and professionalism&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I have a firm conviction that online media is a genuine instrument for the consolidation of our nation’s social fabric&comma; the promotion of forward movement&comma; the maintenance of peace and security&comma; and the growth of our economy&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Therefore&comma; GOCOP should continue to assist us in sanitizing and standardizing the online media space to make it healthier and more effective&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;This vital domain will not be ceded to fifth columnists&comma; bigots&comma; and blackmailers&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;This does not preclude the use of online media to expose corruption and injustice and advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged&period;” Speaking at the event&comma; Mohammed Idris&comma; Minister of Information and National Orientation&comma; stated that the media&&num;8217&semi;s role is to guarantee that the truth is continually communicated&comma; especially when it comes to fairness in governance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;As Guild of Online Corporate Publishers&comma; you have the responsibility to ensure that you report not only the truth but to help government officials to also tell the truth&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It is a responsibility that you have to uphold because there is gradual erosion of the confidence people have in those in government He also charged the media with projecting a favorable picture of the country to the outside world to bring in direct foreign investment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The ceremony involved the swearing-in of the new Excos and the induction of new members&period; It was attended by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation&comma; Professor Ishaq Oloyede&comma; and the Chief of Air Staff&comma; whom the NAF spokesman&comma; Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet&comma; represented&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;