Why PDP Must Win Edo – Wike …Tasks NUJ On Objectivity, Truth

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State to be united and committed to winning the governorship elections in September.
He gave the charge to officers of the South-South Zone’s Executive Committee of the party, who paid him a courtesy visit on Monday in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Wike remarked that,”PDP in the South-South cannot be complete until we take over Edo State.  Therefore, I urge Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections in Edo State and every other state where we have elections.
“I thank the party in Edo State for doing quite well in their campaigns. As an opposition party, they have promoted the party’s chances through committed campaigns”, he said.
Wike declared that there was no court order stopping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Convention scheduled for August 17, 2016 in Port Harcourt.
The governor said that the National Convention will hold as scheduled because the court was yet to hear the suit filed by sacked Senator Ali Modu Sheriff challenging the holding of the national convention.
Wike added, “the court could not have sacked Senator Ahmed Makarfi because it cannot sit on appeal in the judgment of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.”
He added that there was an application to allow Makarfi to be joined as a party in the suit, adding that the suit was adjourned to August 15.
According to  him, the suit challenging the conduct of the National Convention was yet to be entertained by the court.
On the forthcoming National Convention, he stated that the leaders of the PDP in the Southern geo-political zones will meet on Thursday to determine the zoning of positions.
The governor further said that the PDP will emerge stronger from the current challenges as Nigerians are waiting for the party to provide leadership.
In his remarks, the National Vice Chairman of PDP (South-South), Bro Emma Ogidi, commended Wike for using the people’s mandate to transform Rivers State.
He said the governor was a complete party man who has helped in rebuilding the party through his engagements with stakeholders across the country.
The South-South Executive Committee of the PDP also conferred an award of excellence on Wike.
Meanwhile, journalists under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have been tasked to be objective and avoid reporting stories that will destroy the image of Rivers State or scare away investors.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, gave the charge when he played host to the Rivers State Council of the NUJ in Government House, Port Harcourt on  Monday.
The Rivers State chief executive remarked that as watchdogs of the society, journalists need to be non-partisan and factual in their reports.
He frowned at a situation where newsmen will report events based on political leanings at the expense of overriding public interest.
Even when reporting events, the governor cautioned against sensational reports, adding, “this state belongs to all of us whether you come from Rivers State or not; so, whatever affects one, affects the all of us.”
Reminding them that crime was not peculiar to Rivers State but a worldwide phenomenon, the governor said, “you must report clearly what is happening in Rivers State; our emergence is an act of God.”
Wike described journalists as partners in instituting good governance, and assured that his administration was ready to work with the NUJ in enlightening and educating the citizenry about the administration’s policies and programmes, at least, every quarter.
Earlier, the state Chairman of the NUJ, Mr. Omoni Ayo-Tamuno commended the development strides of his administration in the past one year.
Ayo-Tamuno observed that the recent biometrics and audit of state civil servants has displayed the transparency with which Wike has run the government, and called on government to ensure that those staffers indicted of defrauding the state government are prosecuted.
He described the NUJ as a vehicle for enhancing good governance, as he called for improved relationship between the union and government to promote programmes and policies of the administration.