Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau has blamed governors and state governments for the numerous security challenges currently facing the country.

He made the claims on Thursday while speaking during an interactive session at the opening of the 67th World Congress of International Press Institute (IPI) held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Citing recent complaints by the Zamfara State Governor, Abdul-Aziz Yari about not being in control of the security apparatus in his state, the minister argued that if state governments complemented the efforts by the Federal Government at delivering good governance, insecurity would have been reduced.

On border control measures, Dambazzau said efforts are on to establish situation room within the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters to coordinate border security operations.

Earlier, while declaring the event  open, President Muhammadu Buhari observed that responsible journalism was a means to ensure good governance and democratic principles in the country.

Buhari said the dynamics of the information age have shown that responsible journalism will naturally negate the promotion of hate speech including propagation of fake news in any discerning society.

His words: “The changing media landscape, the explosion of the social media and the rapidly evolving technology have had a profound impact on media business and media practice. It is satisfying, therefore, that you have chosen an appropriate theme for your conference:’ Why Good Journalism Matters: Quality Media for Strong Societies.’

“In a world where the borderline between hate speech and free speech has become blurred, good journalism matters. In an environment where fake news dwarfs investigative reporting, Good Journalism Matters.

“For survival in an increasingly competitive field, Good Journalism Matters. Good journalism promotes Good Governance. I, therefore, urge participants to give depth to the topic in your discussions and conclusions.”