Sokoto-Bishop Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese Monday, appealed to media professionals to put national interests “above parochial considerations” in the discharge of their constitutional responsibility.

Kukah told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the objective of reporting events was the only route to peace, stability and progress.

He noted that the role of the media could not be over-emphasised and advised journalists to be proactive, especially in the capturing of emerging developments so as to set an agenda toward sustainable development.

He said: “There are all manners of reforms going on at the same time and journalists must ensure that such developments are well captured and the citizenry enlightened to fully support and participate in the programmes.”

Kukah noted that Nigeria expected its media to exhibit high sense of moral conduct in its reports, especially with the growing need to mobilise Nigerians to be security conscious.

He said; “Government’s primary role is to protect the citizens and journalists must hold leaders accountable to that role.

“Government cannot ask other groups to do that on its behalf; it is just like transferring the security of your children and wife to your uncle or neighbour.

“Lately, governments at all levels have been transferring security duties to traditional rulers and religious leaders; in a more efficient democracy, traditional rulers should be more concerned with issues of inter-communal conflict and other disputes they can settle.”

Kukah said royal fathers had enough of those things to deal with on their hands and should not be given the burden of being constantly involved in the issues that did not concern them.

“Actually, I do not know how traditional rulers or religious leaders can be asked to maintain peace when they do not have a police force or prison.

“They cannot arrest somebody because they do not have the apparatuses to apply such force.

“The simple point is that security falls squarely on the shoulders of those who have presented themselves to lead; those who came to tell us that they are competent to protect us. If they cannot lead, we shall hold them solely responsible.”

Kukah further pointed out that the royal fathers were not in control of the proceeds from oil and all resources of the country and were therefore not supposed to be seen as a parallel government.