The Commissioner, Public Complaints
Commission, Osun State, Prof. Razaq Abubakre, has pledged the
commission’s readiness to join others in the war against corruption and
injustice in the country.
He said despite the level of corruption
in Nigeria and the fight against the truth, the country could still be
sanitised through the commission’s renewed commitment to truth and
fairness.
He commended Punch Newspapers for what
he described as its exemplary media practice and consistent pursuit of
excellent journalism, which he said had been unequaled in the last 10
years in the country.
The commissioner made the remarks while on a courtesy visit to Punch Place, in Magboro, Ogun State, on Tuesday.
According to Abubakre, who is also the
Chairman of the Publicity, Public Enlightenment Committee of the
Commission, the agency faces a Herculean task, like journalists in the
country, who are constantly persecuted because of their roles as the
watchdog of society.
He said, “Who likes the watchdog? It is
only someone who is doing what is right. Whoever is doing what is wrong,
will not like the watchdog. That is the reason some people try to
frustrate the watchdog, while some go as far as shooting and killing the
watchdog.
“Essentially, what journalists are
doing, apart from educating, informing and entertaining, is the pursuit
of the truth. You pursue the truth, find the truth, speak the truth,
stand by the truth and defend the truth. People don’t like the watchdog,
and that is why they threaten, kill and imprison journalists.
“We are here to serve everybody and use our official position to do what is right, investigate and restore justice to Nigeria.”
He said despite that the commission was
established in 1975 by the Murtala Muhammed administration, it had been
inactive, which he said became more pronounced from 1999 to 2012, when
its service was most needed.
Source: PUNCH
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