BENIN CITY- The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council Comrade Desmond Agbama said Nigerian Journalists do not need exclusive law that guarantees Press Freedom to be able to perform optimally.
Rather, the NUJ Chairman said the operationalisation of the freedom of Information Act and the Constitution of Nigeria is what is needed for a free press.
Speaking at a public lecture organized in Benin City by the Union to mark the 2015WorldPress Freedom Day, Agbama disclosed that Nigerian Press must be free if it must be seen to be a potent instrument for advancing the cause of democracy.
According to him, “Nigerian Press is not totally free; there are pockets of incarcerations, clampdown on media houses, seizure of copies of publications and pockets of inducement”.
On his part the Co-ordinator, International Institute of Journalists, Benin City Campus, Mr. Tony Abolo said that, in talking of press freedom, it is imperative, that the role of the media be re-emphasised.
He said the Nigerian Society needs a vibrant and free press to be able to move the society forward.
In doing this, Abolo said the media should seek after the truth within the context of the society, realizing that what the media report are what people use to for a working knowledge of the society.
In a lecture at the occasion, Abolo said the posture of a media system of any country is a function of the social and political structures within which they operate.
The lecture was titled “World Press Freedom Day: Reassment of the concept and  celebration, interpretation of meaning and some thoughts on press freedom going forward for us in Nigeria.
According to Abolo,” It is only natural for the media to reflect the system of social control in which relations between individuals and institutions are adjusted”.