President Buhari's ongoing anti-corruption campaign is bound to offend many as big toes will be stepped on. This claim was made by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Friday in Kaduna at the ongoing 3-day Retreat for State House Correspondents.
Garba however, maintained that the role of the media was critical to winning the war against corruption in the country. He said:
“President Buhari has embarked on an anti-corruption campaign that is bound to offend many. Big toes will be stepped on; personal interests will be cast aside.
“As the popular saying goes, when you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Yes, anti-corruption is a war. And the press can help President Muhammadu Buhari to win that war.
“You are one of the government’s most lethal weapons in this battle against the forces that aim to pull down Nigeria.
“The power of the media, if they have any power at all lies in their ability to expose wrong-doing.
“This power of exposure is a far more effective deterrent in many countries, including our own, than the court systems that deliver judgment and not necessarily justice.
“If they know that that they will be exposed, many crimes will not happen and herein lies the challenge of the media under Buhari’s administration.
“Use your power to expose wrong-doing, the days of impunity are gone. This is the best way to help the CHANGE, now that we have a government with the will and capacity to right all wrongs.’’
The SSA stressed the need for the media to remain impartial and eschew spurious incentives when reporting and carrying out its responsibilities.
He said that the government needed the Press to avoid partnerships with enemies of progress, who were bent on bringing down the government.
No comments