Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has tasked the media in Nigeria to place investigations above sensational journalism in the overall interest of the nation.

He gave the charge at a meeting with parliamentary reporters in Abuja on Wednesday.

National Assembly Correspondent, Joke Adisa, reports that it was the maiden meeting between the Speaker and journalists assigned to cover the proceedings of the House of Representatives.

The meeting comes some fifty days after Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila was elected Speaker of the ninth House. The Speaker led the House Leader and some members to appreciate the contributions of the media in Nigeria to the growth of the nation’s democracy.

It is an opportunity for the press to call the legislators” attention to a bill targeted at ensuring journalists’ welfare still pending before the House

In his response, Mr. Gbajabiamila underscores the role of the media in nation building and enjoins practitioners to always place the country far
and above personal interest in their reportage. He also wants the media to assist in changing what he calls the wrong perception of the National Assembly in the eye of the public

Highpoint of the visit was the presentation of a congratulatory card to Mr. Gbajabiamila on his election as the Speaker on the 11th of June.