Abuja- An economist, Mr Henry Boyo, has advised the media to ensure honest reportage of the country’s true economic situation.
Boyo said this on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, the media has inadvertently joined the economic management in promoting “circles of lies about the economy”.
He said that although the duty of a journalist was to report issues of the country, that should be done with proper reasoning.
On the the drop in the price of crude oil, he said: “ I am surprised that journalists are anxious to jump at the prices falling even below our bench mark and appear worried about it.
“Because in their minds, even though they have not expressed so, they believe that it will affect our revenue base and by extension the potential for our development.
“ But they never cared to ask questions about what the economy was like when the prices of crude oil were high and in abundance in the country some time ago.
“ They never wondered as journalists if we recorded any development as a result or is it just sufficient to just say the so called controversial things that we publish?
“ I believe that journalists are supposed to report, but that does not mean that they should not think while doing so.”
Boyo noted that the media had a very important role to play in the economy of the country and urged them to ensure such. (NAN)
