Shettima urges media-government partnership to deepen 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 emphasised that the health of any democracy depends significantly on the vigilance and responsibility of the media.

He noted that societies are not weakened by a lack of ideas but by the absence of individuals willing to rigorously 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,” the Vice President said.

According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima stressed that democracy transcends elections and institutions, pointing instead to 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 stated, warning that unchecked narratives could erode truth and weaken public institutions.

According to him, “everything deteriorates when left unquestioned,” including power, governance systems, and national discourse, adding that the media must avoid becoming “an accomplice to confusion.”

Paying tribute to Kolade-Otitoju, Shettima described him as a symbol of “democratic courage,” commending his long-standing commitment to intellectual rigour and public accountability through his television programme, Journalists Hangout.

He said the celebrant had nurtured a culture of critical engagement in Nigeria, describing his career as one defined by integrity, relevance, and enduring intellectual vitality.

“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 added.

The Vice President further highlighted the importance of critical thinking in national development, noting that it helps discipline public discourse, counters prejudice, and protects society from conspiracy theories fuelled by ignorance and fear.

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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, Prof. Kyari Mohammed described the nine-chapter work as a comprehensive account of Kolade-Otitoju’s professional journey 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 through his presence at the event.

Tributes also 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.