The president-general of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima has said that for any society to develop, the role of the media is key.
This is even as he said that the media can make or mar any society, stressing that himself being a product of struggle for the survival of democracy in Nigeria can attest to the fact that the media has played and still playing a major role in Nigeria’s growth
Alhaji Shettima stated this while responding to the leadership of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State council which paid him a courtesy visit at the headquarters office of the forum in Kaduna.
While commending the chapel for finding him worthy of the visit, he further averred that, Nigeria may not be where it ought to be today, but will get there some day with the support of the media, and called on all and sundry to give maximum support towards ensuring that the leaders are held accountable in the provision of good governance.
“I have seen all sides of the struggles, we stand for equity, justice for Nigeria and Nigerians, we must always demand for a country where no citizen is treated as a nobody, we are all equal as citizens of Nigeria and must be respected as such.
“All the presidents since democracy came with promises that they rarely fulfil. Much is expected from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because Nigerians are passing through difficult times and Nigerians might take to the streets to demand a better condition of living and resist any unpopular policies that will undermine Nigerians.
“ On my part, I will continue to partner and support the media in any way possible for them to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively, always feel free to reach out to me for any possible area of support within my powers,” he said.
Earlier, chairman of the chapel and Bureau Chief of the Nation Newspaper, Abdulgafar Alabelewe said, they have identified the youth leader and how he has supported journalists in their activities and thought it necessary to among others come and say a big thank you to him and further solicit his continuous support.
Also, available to receive the leadership of the Correspondent Chapel was a board member of AYCF and Chairman of the Arewa Stakeholders Consultative Forum (ASCF) Comrade Paul Danjuma.