Nigerian online publishers have hailed the appointments of Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu as the Special Adviser on Media and Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The publishers, under the aegis of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), also applauded the appointment of Habib Aruna as the Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
GOCOP, in a statement issued on Monday by its President, Malachy Agbo, said all the appointments were merited.
Agbo described Adesina, Shehu and Aruna as thoroughbred journalists and administrators who will bring their wide range of experience to bear on the assignments at hand.
He said the choice of the appointees was a reflection of the deep thought that went into the selection process and challenged the appointees not to lose focus when they assume office.
Agbo cautioned the new appointees against falling into the temptation of abandoning the ethics of the profession once in office, stressing that they should endeavour to be a good ambassadors of their profession in their new assignments.
“With you in office, we look forward to a freer and robust press, a media that is not in shackles and a good working relationship with all stakeholders.”
Agbo equally charged the media to, in the course of carrying out their enormous task of putting both the elected and appointed leaders under close scrutiny, operate within the ethics of the journalism profession.
Until his appointment at the weekend, Adesina doubles as President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, and Managing Director, SUN Newspapers Limited.
On his part, Shehu, himself a former NGE president, headed the media team of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign team.
Aruna, a former editor of Daily Independent Newspapers and later managing editor, Upshot Online Newspaper, is joining the Lagos State government as Chief Press Secretary to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
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