Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday called for a stronger partnership between the media and government, urging journalists to embrace constructive engagement and critical thinking to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking at the public presentation of “My Life and Journalists Hangout” and the 60th birthday celebration of veteran journalist Babajide Kolade-Otitoju in Abuja, Shettima said the health of any democracy depends largely on the vigilance and responsibility of the media.
He noted that societies are weakened not by a lack of ideas, but by the absence of individuals willing to interrogate them.
“A society is destroyed not by the absence of ideas but by the absence of men and women with the courage to interrogate ideas, to test them against reason, and to ask the difficult questions that save a people from the seduction of easy answers,” he said.
According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President stressed that democracy goes beyond elections and institutions, highlighting the media’s role in shaping public consciousness.
“The measure of every democracy is not in the rituals of elections alone or the architecture of institutions. It is also in the sensibility and sensitivity of the media,” he added, warning that unchecked narratives could erode truth and weaken public institutions.
Shettima cautioned that “everything deteriorates when left unquestioned,” including governance and national discourse, urging the media to avoid becoming “an accomplice to confusion.”
Paying tribute to Kolade-Otitoju, he described him as a symbol of democratic courage, commending his decades-long commitment to integrity, intellectual rigour, and public accountability through his programme.
“To spend decades in the service of journalism with integrity intact, with relevance undiminished, and with intellectual energy still alive, is a rare accomplishment,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, commended the media for its patriotic role in advancing democracy and national development.
In his review of the book, Kyari Mohammed described the nine-chapter work as a comprehensive account of Kolade-Otitoju’s career across print and broadcast journalism, recommending it to policymakers and media practitioners.
Earlier, former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Danladi Bako, praised the celebrant as a courageous professional and thanked the Vice President for honouring journalists with his presence.
Other tributes came from presidential spokesman Sunday Dare, broadcaster Gbenga Aruleba, and Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who all highlighted Kolade-Otitoju’s contributions to journalism and democratic development.
Dignitaries at the event included Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Governors Umo Eno, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Agbu Kefas, Usman Ahmed Ododo, and Babagana Zulum, alongside the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, among others.
