President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the House of Representatives for launch of the Green Chamber magazine published by the House to bridge the gap between the House and the public.
Buhari, who made the commendation at the unveiling of the magazine on Wednesday at the National Assembly, said that it would combat the scourge of fake news as it affects the House.
Represented by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the president said that the public would be better informed about the activities of the House by enabling it tell its own story and take charge of its own narrative.
Buhari said that though the magazine was long overdue, it is better late than never, urging the House to make copies available online for the benefit of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan also commended the House for the initiative of publishing an official magazine.
Lawan, who was represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, said that the initiative is in line with the vision of the 9th National Assembly to ensure good governance and openness.
He said that the magazine would enable the legislature regain the trust of the people and urged the House to ensure a feedback mechanism to enable the National Assembly hear directly from the people.
Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigeria has long benefited from the work of dedicated media professionals, describing them as “men and women possessed of incredible talent and abundant courage.”
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He said that journalists risk their lives and limbs to tell stories that expose malfeasance, abuse and hold the powerful to account for their deeds.
“What we have come here to do today is to unveil for the entire world to see, a platform that is dedicated to the practice of true and noble journalism, acting always in the best interests of the people.
“It is about rejecting the temptation to use the power of the word for evil, when there is so much good yet to do. We have come here to show that in spite of the economic pressures brought on by the advancements in new media, it is still possible to do journalism with integrity.
“This is by eschewing the false promise of click bait headlines and fake news editorials,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said that the magazine is not a propaganda outlet published to massage the egos of House members, declaring that the “vision for the Green Chamber magazine is that through this platform, the 9th House may contribute to the enthronement of a journalistic tradition that is grounded in the ideals of honest reporting and focused on making real the old promise of open government.
He therefore, charged reporters, researchers, writers and contributors to the magazine to absolutely seek truth without fear and exercise good judgment always in the best interests of the Nigerian people.
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