Dr. Dili Ezughah, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), says the organisation is committed to deliver on its mandate of sanitising the print media and training of journalists.
Ezughah stated this in an interview in Abuja where he stated that between 2023 and 2025, the Council received only seven complaints from members of the public on unethical publications against them.
He explained that the NPC was established by the NPC Act, CAP N128, Laws of the Federation 2004, adding that the mandate of the Council is to promote high professional standards for Nigerian Press.
He further stated that the Council was also expected to inquire and entertain complaints from members of the public about unethical conduct of journalists and unethical publications.
“Also, we inquire into acts by members of the public that hinders the dissemination of information or performance of duties of journalists in the country.
“These are enshrined in section 16 of the NPC Act
about complaints; and these complaints have procedures. You can only complain when something unethical is published about you, especially in the print media which we regulate.
“First, the complainant has to draw the attention of the media house to the alleged offensive publication, and if he or she is not satisfied, then the complaints can be directed to the NPC.
“When we receive a complaint, we forward it to the Legal and adjudication Unit of the Council, but if there is a board, it is forwarded to the board.
“We can then try to broker peace by writing the media house involved, but if the media house retracted the article, tender apology to the complainant or the matter is in court, we don’t act.
“However, we are committed to continue to carry out our lawful duty to deliver on our mandate and sanitise the print media to ensure that complaints on unethical publications by print media is reduce to the minimum, ” Ezughah said.
He further stated that the NPC had held workshops for journalists in Bauchi for North East, Karu for North Central and Lagos for South West Regions of the country, adding that other regions would benefit before the end of the year.
According to the NPC boss, the essence of workshops is to inculcate the sense of ethical compliance among media professionals, journalists, and practitioners.
“This is because if they abide by the ethics of the profession, they would uphold a high professional standard, devoid of unethical practices that will bring about complaints.
“This is because complaints arise when reporter breaches any of the ethics; either accuracy, objectivity, balance, and the rest of them.
“So, since the establishment of the Council, we have been training and retraining journalists till date. We have never relented in going round and organising workshops and trainings for journalists.
“Most of our trainings are based on ethics and the need for journalists to comply with the ethics of the profession,” Ezughah said.
