Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has charged the mass media in the country to always use their platforms to propagate truth and give voice to the voiceless.
It said the society becomes unhealthy when only the powerful have microphones while the weak remain unheard.
The Church also cautioned against any form of clampdown or persecution of media practitioners for performing their sacred role of deseminating information and propagating truth, exposing ills in the society.
Speaking at a Press Conference on Sunday to mark the closing of the Church’s 2026 Communication Week at the headquarters of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Abuja, the Chairman of the Directorate of Communications Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa advised all to embrace the positive side of communication that serves serves for public good.
“The poor, the displaced, the vulnerable, victims of violence, abandoned children, persecuted minorities, and suffering communities must not merely be spoken about; they must be given platforms to speak for themselves.
“True justice begins when the voiceless are no longer invisible.At the same time, it is interesting that those who spread hatred, lies, cybercrime, blackmail, terrorism, and digital manipulation often hide behind fake names, false profiles, and anonymous accounts,.
“Evil frequently wears a mask because darkness fears the light. Criminals hide their faces because the truth exposes them. As Jesus says in the Gospel of John: “Everyone who does evil hates the light” (John 3:20).,”
he said.
Bishop Musa however noted that there are journalists who speak the truth and enlighten the public and they are persecuted.
“We have journalists who show their faces, speak the truth and enlighten the public and they are persecuted. We have journalists who have disappeared mysteriously. We have journalists who have been killed.
“And I think on this day, we also have to give honour to journalists who are constantly persecuted, journalists who are often in danger by speaking the truth and propagating the gospel message,” he said.
The Bishop said that as part of the World Communication Day celebration, the Catholic Church is urging the use all digital communication technologies, ” to positively to enlighten the society, to propagate the gospel message, to inform and to enlighten the public.
“I know that at this time, especially at this time when elections are coming up, that journalists and media practitioners are often on the front line, are often in danger. They are at risk, especially for propagating what is truth.
“We have journalists who are persecuted in so many ways for propagating the truth. We have journalists who are persecuted for showing their faces. We have many evil people who are unable to show their faces and are perpetrating all kinds of evil.
Nigerian media are trying in upholding national values, we can say that in many ways they do their best in upholding what is true, in upholding what is charitable and in upholding our very positive cultural and religious values.
“But we know also that there are people who are misguided, there are people who are untrained, there are people who are unskilled in using media technology and in even knowing what to propagate.
“There are people who are negative influencers, there are people who influence the society and particularly the young people negatively,” he added.
In his speech the Secretary General of the CSN, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo said the Church expects the media to play a key role in amplifying citizens voices, reflecting their opinions and interests as it affects the way they are governed.
According to Rev. Banjo, the media have a sacred civic duty: to verify claims before publication, expose falsehood without becoming partisan combatants, resist sensationalism, avoid language that inflames ethnic or religious tension.
He also said the media should be able to explain the electoral process clearly, and give citizens the information they need to vote wisely and peacefully.
Banjo said : “In an election season, responsible journalism is not merely a profession; it is a service to democracy and to the human face of the nation.
“This responsibility also requires a credible electoral process. Electronic transmission of election results, especially polling-unit results, must not be treated as a mere technical detail; it is a test of whether the people’s voice will truly be heard”.
“In the coming elections, every voter must count, every vote must count, and every result must reflect the true voice of the people”.
Earlier the Director of Department of Social Communication at the CSN, who also celebrated his birthday on Sunday, Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umo listed some of the achievements in his six year journey as the Communications Director
“We have revolutionized the digital presence of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, notably through the launch and sustenance of the Nigeria Catholic Network (NCN), the institutionalization of ComWEEK, and the restructuring of our various communication bodies to form a unified, synergistic front.
“We must not fail to note, that all these are still work in progress, as there are still so much that needs to be done,” he said.
