Achudume Urges Journalists To Defend Human Dignity, Challenges Abiodun Over Abortion Bill
Ayomide Awe
The Senior Pastor of Victory Life Bible Church International, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, has urged journalists to deploy their professional influence to defend human dignity, promote responsible leadership and challenge practices capable of eroding societal values.
Achudume made the call during the thanksgiving service marking the 50th anniversary of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), held at the church in Abeokuta on Sunday.
The service, which brought the council’s week-long Golden Jubilee celebrations to a close, attracted journalists and other dignitaries, with NUJ members adorning white and gold outfits to commemorate the milestone.
The cleric described journalism as a critical pillar of socio-economic development, noting that practitioners make enormous personal sacrifices and confront numerous challenges in the course of discharging their professional responsibilities.
He urged journalists not to lose sight of their responsibility to society, encouraging them to remain steadfast, courageous and committed to the ideals of the profession.
He also prayed for divine strength and protection for media practitioners as they continued to navigate the challenges associated with their duties.
Speaking on the proposed Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026, Achudume appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun not to assent to the bill, arguing that the preservation of human life should take precedence.
“For humanity’s sake, this bill should not be signed into law. We do not want any more shedding of blood. Let the child live,” he said.
The pastor urged journalists to give the matter adequate public attention, stressing that the media had an important role to play in shaping public conversations around issues with significant social and moral implications.
On Nigeria’s political and economic challenges, Achudume expressed concern that the country was losing creative entrepreneurs, innovators and resourceful individuals to politics because of what he described as the growing perception of political office as a route to wealth.
He lamented that the celebration of questionable wealth associated with political power was discouraging people with innovative ideas from investing their talents in productive ventures and businesses capable of generating employment.
According to him, society must begin to place greater value on creativity, hard work, entrepreneurship and legitimate means of wealth creation rather than glorifying political officeholders because of their financial influence.
Achudume also criticised what he described as the declining influence of positive social values, particularly among young people exposed to the excesses of social media.
He expressed concern that online popularity, indecent dressing and the pursuit of followers were increasingly being presented as measures of success and personal relevance.
“They celebrate emptiness and call it showbiz. They celebrate nakedness and call it fashion,” he said.
The cleric cautioned young people against allowing social media trends to dictate their identities, values and life choices, urging them to embrace purposeful living and responsible conduct.
He further emphasised the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with God, noting that difficulties were inevitable in business, marriage, careers, the civil service and other aspects of human existence.
He advised people not to abandon their convictions when confronted with difficult circumstances, but to remain steadfast and committed to their principles.
Earlier, the Ogun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, commended Achudume for his longstanding support for journalism and contributions to societal development.
