Daily Trust apologised yesterday for publishing an inaccurate report on the Samoa Agreement in July.
The report, headlined “LGBT: Nigeria Signs $150 Billion Samoa Deal,” generated significant interest and controversy across the country.
In response, the federal government lodged a formal complaint with the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), an independent ombudsman.
The NMCC recently ruled that key parts of the story were inaccurate and did not meet the high journalistic standards to which all newspapers should adhere. “We have published the full report of the NMCC in our edition of Tuesday, September 24, 2024.”
Daily Trust Apology
“We accept the NMCC’s verdict without equivocation. We apologise to the federal government for any inconvenience the story may have caused. We also apologise to our readers and the public for the initial inaccuracies,” Daily Trust said.
“Our internal editorial mechanisms for reporting, editing, and approving news stories have been robust and have served us well for over a quarter-century. However, in light of this incident, we have taken additional steps to improve these mechanisms and enhance their effectiveness.”
“As a newspaper, we strive to serve the interests of our readers and promote the unity, security, and development of our country.
We do this by producing content that helps readers understand the world they live in, promotes healthy debate between opposing parties on various issues, and holds leaders accountable to the public.”
“We neither favour nor hold a grudge against any government, party, or individual. Our aim is simply to seek the truth, wherever it leads, and publish the findings in the public interest.”
Daily Trust further stated that, like all newspapers around the world, they sometimes make mistakes or misreport facts. This is why, even before the advent of the National Ombudsman, they had their internal ombudsmen, such as the late Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf (2007) and Mr. Dan Agbese (2015). “We take the process of self-correction seriously.”
“We would like to thank the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC) for its thorough and professional approach to resolving this case. We also thank the federal government, particularly the minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, for his professional and democratic handling of this incident.”
“Lastly, and most importantly, we thank our readers, advertisers, and other stakeholders for their patience and trust in us.”
