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Driven by his desire to see a new Nigerian economy that thrives, Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and presidential aspirant, said he “will send our leaders who have small views into a well-deserved retirement by 2019”.
Moghalu, who was the guest speaker at the fourth anniversary lecture of The Niche Newspaper, said the greatest countries of this world like USA and China are led by leaders with world views, adding that the complex of absolute power is part of what Nigerians want to change as a people.
“In the absence world views, small views reign. We are led by politicians who do not have a world view. Small views come from my church, my mosque, my tribe, and so on. My vision for the Nigerian media is to ensure that Nigeria fulfills its mission. A certain type of leadership can make Nigeria rise again. Electing the right type of leadership is very important. Nigeria needs leadership with world view,” the professor told the teeming audience that graced the lecture.
“There is no reason by Nigeria cannot be a great nation again as a nation. We need a new kind of Nigeria elite who will use the media to advance a strategic national interest,” he said at the lecture with the theme “Development Reporting and Hysteria Journalism in Nigeria”.
Remi Sonaiya, chairperson of the event who is a professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University and former Presidential Candidate emphasised the role of the media in developing the economy. The media is important in development of this nation and their roles in contributing to nation building cannot be underestimated, she said.
Discussants of the theme of the lecture included Funke Egbemode, president, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Managing Director/Editor In Chief of New Telegraph Newspaper; Obinna Nwosu, former deputy managing director, Access Bank Plc; Fred Aja Agwu, senior research fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs; and Joe Igbokwe, APC publicity secretary, Lagos State.
Senator Ben Bruce, who represented the Senate President Bukola Saraki, noted that the media has changed the way people talk and react to nation’s problems. “The media defends democracy”. On the recent missing Mace at the Senate, Bruce said media played important roles to stop recent the non-sense. “There would be no regime change at the senate. We must preserve our democracy at all cost”, he added. For the media, he urged them to continually change their style of communication.
Iheanyi Nwachukwu
