Prof Atobe Urges FG To Set Up Journalism School In Honour Of Dele Giwa

The Media Law Centre has called on the Federal Government to establish a school of Journalism in honour of late Dele Giwa for his contribution to the nation’s democracy.

The late founding Editor-In-Chief of Newswatch Magazine died in his home on 19 October 1986 after a letter bomb was handed over to him in his study.
Prof. Matthew Atobe made the call, yesterday, at a capacity building seminar and public presentation of two publications by Mr. Richard Akinola, on the media to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the assassination of Dele Giwa.
The event witnessed the presentation of the books; ‘the law of defamation and trial by the Media: Saraki’s case in perspective’ written by a pro-democracy activist and Journalist, Richard Akinola.
Speaking on ‘the contributions of investigative Journalism to national development’, Prof. Atobe who is a senior partner Beacom Group, Boston, USA, paid glowing tribute to the late Journalist. He said the trace of the history of the nation’s democracy cannot be complete without the contributions of Dele Giwa, his colleagues and the Newswatch Magazine they founded.
He, therefore, called on Nigerian Journalists to emulate his “gallantry, fearless and dauntless courage to reject and shun bad journalistic ethics and payment to compromise accurate and truthful reporting.”
“In conclusion and without hesitation, I hereby suggest today that the private sector, federal and state governments should join minds together to honour Dele Giwa with the establishment of Dele Giwa School of Journalism for his contribution to democracy we are all enjoying in Nigeria today,” Atobe said.
Also speaking, former President of Nigerian Union Journalist, Lanre Ogundigbe called on practitioners to declare a state of emergency in media as a way of uplifting the dwindling standard and ethics of the profession.