Don’t Mislead Public, Kano Government Admonishes Journalists

Kano State government has cautioned practitioners to uphold media ethics and operate strictly within journalism standards to avoid misleading the public.

The commissioner for Information and Home Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, made call during a press briefing following reports on corruption allegations against some officials. He said the allegations were before the court and under investigation by the anti-corruption agencies.

He described the reports as worrisome, falling below established journalism standards and part of a coordinated campaign to discredit the current administration.

“Worthy of note is the reckless and continuous manipulation of innocent citizens by recycling the same story through different patterns and faces.

“Moreover, since the story began trending especially on digital platforms, it has become apparent to every discerning mind that there is a carefully orchestrated plan by some desperate, faceless, and unpatriotic elements to discredit the Abba Kabir Yusuf-led administration.

“The promoters of such negative stories and their paymasters have shamelessly continued to recycle the same narrative in different forms to deceive the public into believing that the NNPP-led government harbours corrupt officials, thereby suggesting that the administration condones corruption.

The commissioner cited an example of an allegation involving the former accountant-general and current commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, regarding an alleged return of N1.17 billion, explaining that the matter is not new but a part of an ongoing investigation.

He urged the media and journalists to uphold the principles of objectivity, fairness, accuracy, and balanced reportage, calling the recycling of stories “reprehensible” to support attacks on a committed administration.

While reaffirming Governor Yusuf’s public declaration of zero tolerance for corruption, he said the government has institutionalised reforms guided by the amended Kano State Public Procurement Law, 2021, to ensure transparency in governance.