the Nigerian media over the reportage of the
Abuja bomb blast.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku,
made the government's position known while
briefing State House correspondents of the
outcome of the weekly Federal Executive
Council meeting presided over by President
Goodluck Jonathan.
Maku was joined at the briefing by the
Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator
Bala Muhammed, and the Minister of State
Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan.
The minister said the Nigerian media
displayed high level of insensitivity by
unleashing gory pictures of the incident on
the citizens.
He said by their actions, the media displayed
disrespect for the dead and the living and
absolute insensitivity to the health of the
people.
Maku said, "Let me also say that we observe
with regret that in spite of the great job the
media has continued to do, we saw that the
way this incident was reported in the last two
days has been very insensitive.
"The council noted and this is very
unprofessional that the newspapers and most
of the television stations just unleashed on
Nigerians gory details of pictures that should
never have been published on the basis of
humanity, on the basis of professional ethics,
and on the basis of feelings for the
sensibilities of our people.
"We saw on some pages of newspapers the
remains of shredded dead bodies printed on
the pages of newspapers. This doesn't happen
anywhere in the world because a journalism
has responsibility to the sensibility of people.
"Newspapers and televisions are watched by
children and minors, and it is expected that in
cases like this, professional training and
commitment should be uppermost in the way
we report. We continue to urge the media
that, yes, we expect that whatever happens
must be reported. But in reporting, we must
show extra care for the psychological health
of our citizens and the image of our nation.
"So, those gory pictures that were just
splashed on the front pages of newspapers
and even the inner pages as well as on
television screens, we collectively feel that
should never have been the case.
Muhammed confirmed that death toll in the
explosion had risen to 75, while 126 persons
were receiving treatments in hospitals across
the FCT.
He added that 47 commercial motorcycles, 20
luxury buses and 20 mini buses were
destroyed in the explosion.
The minister said the President had pointed
out the lapses observed on the part of the FCT
administration and the FCTA would,
henceforth, begin to pay attention to markets
and parks.
He said Jonathan also assured the council that
the issue would be addressed during the next
security meeting.
He said while efforts were ongoing to
decentralise motor parks in the FCT, the
administration would also import additional
100 buses for the citizens.
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