Democracy Day: Media Must Hold Leaders Accountable— Pastor Nsirim

As Nigeria commemorates 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, the Executive Director of the De Gratia Centre for Media Rights and Education, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, has called on media practitioners to rise to their responsibility of holding leaders accountable.

In a press statement issued today, June 12 in Port Harcourt, Pastor Nsirim emphasized the urgent need for stronger institutions to uphold the tenets of democracy in the country.

“Media practitioners owe this nation the responsibility to ensure that our leaders do not continue the trajectory of corruption and rudderless leadership,” he said. “We have come to a point in our country when our leadership recruitment process must be interrogated to pave the way for patriotic Nigerians to occupy key positions.”

Reflecting on the state of the nation, Pastor Nsirim lamented that despite Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, economic challenges continue to weigh heavily on citizens. He charged the media to use their platforms to promote values that inspire progress and national development.

“As agenda setters, the media must begin to propagate values that will engender a better Nigeria. Leadership is a sacred trust and must be seen and treated as such,” he noted.

He decried what he termed the “primitive accumulation of wealth” by some in power while critical sectors of the economy suffer neglect.

Pastor Nsirim expressed confidence in Nigeria’s potential to become an economically vibrant nation if transparency and accountability are upheld across all levels of government.

“This is the time for all Nigerians to put their hands on deck to build the nation of our dreams,” he concluded.

Democracy Day, marked annually on June 12, celebrates the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999.