At the end of its two-day meeting held in Sokoto, Sokoto State at the weekend, the Standing Committee of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) issued a communiqué on the state of the nation.
The communiqué signed by Garba Deen Mohammad, acting president, and Victoria Ibanga, general secretary, of the Guild, respectively, the Guild came up with the following:
“The Guild commends the fight against corruption embarked upon by the Federal Government, especially in its effort to recover the country’s stolen money that is mostly stashed abroad. It advises that these efforts should be sustained, but insists that rule of law should be strictly adhered to.
“The Guild is worried by the instability of the exchange rate of the naira and urges the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to formulate and implement policy measures geared towards stabilising the exchange rate in order to restore confidence in the local currency and in the economy as a whole.
“The Guild deplores the rising wave of crime in the country, especially armed robbery, and urges relevant security agencies to rise to the occasion to safeguard lives and property.
“The Guild, once again, draws the attention of the Federal Government to the rising unemployment in the country and urges it to make job creation a priority.
“The Guild also notes with concern the hardship being experienced by some journalists in the country due to irregular remuneration and poor condition of service, and urges media owners to urgently address the issues.
“ The Standing Committee also unanimously expresses confidence in the Ag. President, Mallam Garba Deen Mohammad and pledges to ensure a seamless transition in line with the tradition of continuity, which the Guild is known for.
“The Guild expresses its gratitude to the government and good people of Sokoto State for hospitality extended to the members of the Standing Committee during their two-day meeting in the state.”
