News
RSG Wants Govt Media To Be Competitive
The Rivers State Government has charged state media organs to de-emphasise the use of government stories and pictures on the outside pages of the newspapers and as major news on radio and television stations and strive to compete with the independent and privately-owned media in the state and the country at large.
Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who threw the challenge last Friday at a Dinner/Award night at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, organised by the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as part of its 2009 Press Week, said government was not interested in the use of stories emanating from its activities as a priority.
The governor, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said a situation where state media organizations splashed four to five stories emanating from activities of the governor on front and back pages with related pictures or used government stories as major news on radio and television had made them boring sources of information for majority of the reading, listening and viewing public.
Mrs Semenitari stressed that the over reliance of the state media organs on government stories had seemingly narrowed the vision of most reporters in the government media, thereby making it difficult for them to undertake investigative and developmental journalism.
She regretted that most of the stories in the state media lacked depth, intellectual dexterity and purposefulness, emphasising that the dependence on stereotypes was neither enhancing their capacity to inform nor educate the people.
Semenitari noted that in a highly competitive environment, it was meaningless and unprofitable for government media organs to concentrate on use of unworthy government stories, adding that while stories with high public interest potentials should be given prominence, those that were likely to put off the greater majority of readers, listeners and viewers should be played down in order to be commercially viable.
The commissioner pointed out that the government was committed to restructuring, repositioning and adequately funding the state-owned media in order for them to break even and compete with the private media establishments in stories for stories, advertisements for advertisements, saying that government as a business-man would commensurate returns on its investments, and therefore would not tolerate unproductive, indolent and lazy staff in the affected media organizations.
Earlier, chairman of Rivers State Council of NUJ, Mr Opaka Dokubo, had said journalists reflect, take stock and unwind, while also rewarding deserving members and past leaders as well as the state governor for his courage, exemplary leadership and transparency in governance.
Also speaking, Sen. Benneth Birabi tasked journalists to see themselves as mirrors of society, be constructive in their criticisms and strive to avoid yellow journalism, and commended the leadership of the NUJ in the state for putting together such an all-embracing programme for its members.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Niger Delta ex-agitator Endurance Amagbein has cautioned the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, against politicising the plight of the Niger Delta people over issues surrounding renewal of pipeline surveillance contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
In a statement on Saturday, Amagbein condemned IYC leaders who took a protest to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, demanding the sack of Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited.
The IYC had claimed that the protest was due to non-performance, financial mismanagement and other allegations, but Amagbein refuted the claims.
Amagbein accused the IYC of derailing from its core mandate and delving into partisan oil surveillance politics.
“Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil); Dr Samuel Ogbuku, MD/CEO of NDDC; and Chief Dennis Otuaru, the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, are all Ijaw people, but sadly, nobody remembers this to thank Mr President.”
“It is so said that oil politics in the Niger Delta has infiltrated into the affairs of the IYC, and its leaders have allowed surveillance contractors to direct policy statements of the youth body.”
The Tide source reports that Ojulari had said NNPCL is under attack over his leadership stance.
The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has begged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying that his reforms and initiatives would in no distant time transform the nation’s economy, security and social landscape.
The Akwa Ibom State Director of NOA, Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, made the appeal in Uyo at the weekend during a sensitization programme organized by the Federal Information Center with focus on the milestones of Tinubu’s administration.
Mkpoutom, who was represented by Mrs Atim Otoyo, Deputy Director Planning, Research and Strategy, recalled that Tinubu on assumption of office on May 29, 2023, had embarked on ambitious reforms and initiatives that would better the lives of Nigerians.
He said the President’s focus is on revitalizing Nigeria’s economy by swiftly addressing the fuel subsidy crisis that had long plagued the nation’s finances.
According to him, by removing fuel subsidies, resources are now reallocated towards critical areas such as infrastructure and social welfare programs.
“This bold decision, although met with public discontent due to rising fuel prices, was a necessary step towards fiscal responsibility,” he said.
Mkpoutom also stated that security remains a paramount concern in Nigeria, stressing that Tinubu’s administration has prioritized the issue since the onset of his administration.
“His administration has focused on strengthening the military and security agencies to combat terrorism, banditry and separatist movements. This includes boosting funding for the Armed Forces and implementing community policing strategies to foster better relationships between law enforcement agencies and local communities.
“President Tinubu’s administration has championed various projects aimed at improving transportation networks, electricity supply, and public amenities as well as initiating programs to create technological hubs to promote digital literacy among young Nigerians,” the NOA official said.
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, has apologised to the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Federal Capital Territory Chapter, over his assault on its member and a staff of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Ladi Bala.
Opeifa apologized at a press conference at the NUJ FCT secretariat in Abuja on Sunday.
The apology comes after NUJ FCT condemned the unwholesome treatment meted out to its members who were covering the recent Abuja-Kaduna train derailment incident.
The NUJ demanded a public apology from Opeifa over the incident.
In his apology on Sunday, Opeifa said he was carried away in the heat of the moment.
“I wish to offer my apology for the regrettable remarks I made, which were not only directed at a seasoned journalist but also reflected unfavourably on the NUJ FCT and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ.
“Acting in the heat of the moment under pressure, and in my attempt to ensure safety, I made certain unkind statements. For this, I take full responsibility, and I am sorry.”
Chairman of NUJ FCT, Grace Ike, had called for calm among journalists over the incident.
Recall that six passengers were injured after the Abuja-Kaduna rail derailed in Jere on Tuesday.