Confirmation Hearing: Dele Alake Lists Requirements For Effective Social Media Regulation…How Senator Bamidele Saved Him From Embarrassing Questions

Hon Henry Dele Alake , a  journalist,  an activist and  a technocrat, has  suggested ways to  address issues and problems faced by media practitioners in  the country and how to   achieve ‘media professionalism’.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Alake, who served as  commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos state during the Bola Tinubu administration,  spoke while responding to questions asked by senators during his ‘confirmation hearing’  on Wednesday.

The popular journalist while suggesting ways to address information disorder on social media platforms and improve content moderation practices, also listed what he considered as requirements for effective social media regulation.

Alake, who said he was an editor of a newspaper for ten years,  added that while social media spreads information faster , editors  of newspapers were   however content moderators and were conscious of what was made available to the public.

He also submitted that social media has  negative and positive sides

‘The downside of social media is that it is detrimental to a good and decent society. What I would support is the strengthening of regulations.

There are laws that guide our conduct in every area of human endeavour but the applications of these laws have been shut.

Even victims of libel, aspersions, defamation and all kinds of negative things in the media, hesitate to also apply the law against the culprits.

I will recommend the strengthening of our regulations and the applications of those laws. The laws must be tested so that we can know the proficiency of those regulations.

I will support anything that comes from this hallowed chamber that promotes this course of action’ he said.

The former commissioner ,who like the senators had earlier done, lamented absence of moral character’, also expressed a need for everyone to promote our ‘value system’ submitting that failure to do this was responsible for ‘social issues’.

He however added that the blame for this cannot be laid at the doors of the nation’s leaders but that ‘it is  rather all of us in totality as a society’.

Alake , who said the geography has not changed and the sun still rises and set  from the usual places noted that what had caused problem is ‘behavioral change’ that had gotten recorded.

 ‘Having been a practitioner, and I am still a practitioner, because of this, I have been a policy agent in this country. I was a reporter. I am a reporter for life. So, I remain a reporter. I saw the ideals, the tenets, the principles, the norms, and the laws of that profession.

I am one of those who uphold it, I will uphold it assiduously with every single bit of my being; we will make sure that press freedom is sustained in this country. However, for every privilege, there are responsibilities.

I am not advocating an absolute press freedom without responsibilities. And I had the cause to say to some group of media men, just a few days  ago that those of us who are gatekeepers, editors, media directors, and all that,  we should regulate whatever comes out for the sanity of our society, because information is power. When information is irresponsibly perceived, it can lead to cataclysmic events and destruction, chaos, and  social anomie . So, I am very, very fervent on the responsibility aspect of the press, and I will uphold it to the very last atom of my being’ he also submitted while giving his take on press freedom.

The popular journalist , who did not lose  his composure while being made to face uncomfortable questioning , had the Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele saving the situation.

Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon, who is the Minority Leader,  had  asked Alake questions on his 2023  general election comments and also asked him to sing the second stanza of the national anthem.

‘Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause. Guide our leaders right, help our youths the truth to know. In love and honesty to grow and living just and true. Great lofty heights attain. To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign’.

You’ve talked about social media too. I have read on social media your statement concerning other political parties. I read your statement where you described supporters of a particular presidential candidate as wild dogs. Have you come across that statement, did you say that?

and his second question was;

‘Somebody that will be the image maker, if you are eventually appointed by the President as information minister of this country. We know that out of patriotism, we are supposed to be conversant with our national anthem. Mr. President if you will  allow me, I will ask the nominee to sing the second stanza of the national anthem?

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele however cited  Order 55,  sub-section 1 to 12,  and order 52, sub section 4 of the Senate Standing Orders to request that the two questions should be declared irrelevant and disallowed-Team@orientactualmags.com
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