Journalists Must Advance Wike’s Dev Agenda -Nsirim

Friday, December 18, 2020, witnessed an unprecedented convergence of the cream of journalists and media executives at the Goshen Event Centre situated off the popular NTA road, Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, the capital city of the treasure base of the nation. Correspondents of virtually all the national newspapers and the broadcast organisations, General Managers of State owned media outfits, publishers of local tabloids, managers of both the radio and television stations in the State and counterparts drawn from the state ministry of Information and Communications were all in attendance. It was a gathering of sorts where exchange of pleasantries and compliments almost overwhelmed the melodious music interlude renting the air of the large air conditioned hall of the complex.
The gathering was just for one purpose, to reinvigorate the hitherto comatose fraternity of gentlemen of the pen profession at an end of year luncheon, so declared the chief host of the auspicious event, the Rivers State Commissioner of Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim.
Few moments behind the time fixed for the commencement of the event to give opportunity to some of the invitees held up in a traffic snarl along the ever busy NTA road to arrive, the voice of the master of ceremony emerged calling the occasion to order. He quickly constituted the high table led by the chief image maker of the Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike led-Rivers State Government, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, who, thereafter, took the centre stage to set the ball rolling. As a veteran, who had passed through the ropes and tested the both sides of the practice of the journalism profession, Nsirim set the ball rolling after conveying the goodwill of the Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to the media practitioners in the State. “Building strong partnership with the media is not just issuing press releases and invite people for ceremonies. Sometimes, it is good to come together in an unofficial atmosphere to fraternise” he captured the attention of the media professionals who expected the usual routine duty calls.
Rising to address the gathering in a very calm and relaxed mood, the Commissioner went on, “having worked with the Ministry of Information for quite a number of years, I have come to realise that moments like this have done a lot to strengthen the partnership between the Ministry and the media. I want to use this opportunity to thank all of you on behalf of His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. We are not here by accident but based on individual recognition as partners in the development of Rivers State.”
“I have come to the conclusion, since I became Commissioner a year ago that the media in the State have played a positive role in advancing the development agenda of His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. You all know the giant strides being recorded here. This is one State that has become a major player in the national politics because of the vision and ingenuity of the Governor, Nsirim told the media.
He rhetorically asked, “How come that with this COVID-19, the Governor is still doing a lot? My answer is simple, number one, His Excellency has made God first, he has a passion to develop Rivers State. He is selflessly committed to making Rivers State investors’ destination of choice and of course he is a prudent manager of resources. Those of us working closely with him have come to realise that his governance has actually touched the people. All over, what you hear about leadership is excuses of lean resources, COVID-19 has also become an excuse for non- performance. But here you have a Governor who, in spite of the COVID and the global economic recession, is on the driver’s seat pursuing the developmental agenda as if nothing is happening. That is the kind of Governor that we have in the State. And when the critics don’t have anything to say about his administration, they say he has concentrated development in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor and that is not true,” he emphasised.
“Therefore, we want to encourage journalists in the State to find time to go across the length and breadth of the State to see the kind of development that is all over the state. I don’t know how many journalists know about the Sakpenwa-Ogoni Unity road, the Abonnema ring road, Abalama land reclamation, the Cassava processing company at Eleme. How many people have gone to Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local Government areas, the stretch of the Andoni-Opobo Unity road and see the kind of money that is being sunk there by this administration and that is because there is a Governor who is committed to ensure that development is spread throughout the length and breadth of the State.”
After taking his guests through a brief tutorial of the achievements of the State Government to buttress his point, a round of loud applause from the media practitioners rented the atmosphere. Then, came Nsirim’s nerves calming voice that virtually erased the atmosphere of officialdom by saying “so as we celebrate the end of year, this is a thank you luncheon on behalf of His Excellency to say to all of you, we are happy that you are supporting this administration, even though we get some knocks once in a while (laughter pervaded the hall) which is normal. But I have said I am a protagonist of constructive criticism. I have said to journalists that it is only a bad leader that will not want constructive criticism, but what we shouldn’t promote is armchair criticism. The media must not allow itself to be a dumping site for armchair criticism, but you see, that is what we find most of the time. They don’t see anything good. I was going through the social media a few days ago, somebody said; this Rumuokoro flyover is too short. Why didn’t he make it like a ring road?’ But before now how was Rumuokoro? Today if you go there, you won’t believe it is in Port Harcourt not to talk about Rebisi flyover that has been commissioned a few weeks ago. So, we welcome constructive criticism,” he emphasised.
To further buttress his point, the Information and Communications Commissioner said, “those of us working with His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, will tell you clearly that he has a good thinking. He welcomes constructive criticism, so, for those of us who are in the media, we owe posterity that duty to ensure that the things that we do, we satisfy our conscience that those tenets of objectivity and fairness remain the rule of thumb because it is important that now that we have so many people straying into the profession, the legacy we leave behind determines the tenets of the profession.
“You cannot afford to leave behind a situation where professionalism is thrown to the dogs. So, my appeal to all of us is that in whatever we do here in Rivers State, let us join hands together with Governor Nyesom Wike who is determined to leave behind a worthy legacy for posterity. All of us will be part of the success story when it will be written. Because you are here working as a journalist in this state during this tenure, you will be part of that history and you be proud to look back and say yes I was part of this administration. So, I want to thank all of you for honouring this invitation at a very short notice and at the same time appreciate all you are doing for us,” Nsirim said.
He went on to acknowledge the protection of God to members of the media and their nuclear families during the pandemic which ravaged the country and the world in general. “I am alarmed that during this COVID there were so many deaths across the state but I have not heard of any journalist who died of COVID and it is something we just need to celebrate God. That we did not lose any journalist during this pandemic and I don’t know anyone who lost a member of his or her nuclear family to the COVID, is something that we need to really thank God.
“I want to welcome you again to this luncheon. Please accept whatever we can offer as a token of love to say thank you for the journey so far. It has been a wonderful experience working with you for the past one year and I can say I am one Commissioner of Information in this State that has enjoyed the support of the media one hundred percent,” his conclusion attracted a standing ovation from the members of the fourth estate of the realm.
Speaking on behalf of the media correspondents in the State, the acting Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Rivers State Chapter, Mr Amaechi Okonkwo, lauded Pastor Nsirim for boosting a cordial relationship between Governor Wike’s administration and the media.
He described Pastor Nsirim as an astute administrator and seasoned media professional, whose goodwill has secured a friendly relationship with the media, urging that relationship would improve even better.
Other media executives such as the State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Stanley Job Stanley; the representative of RIVPA, Ngo Martin-Yellowe; the General Manager, Rivers State Television, Pastor Dafini Gogo-Abbey and the Deputy National President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Mrs. Lilian Okonkwo-Ogabu, all lauded Pastor Nsirim for building a bridge of friendship between the State Government and the media in the State. The media executives, who spoke on behalf of the various segments of the media pledged 100 percent support of the media to the Governor Wike’s administration.
Giving the vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, Esq, appreciated everyone that came out for the luncheon irrespective of their tight schedule and encouraged them for a better cooperation.
It was a moment of family reunion as the event provided a rare opportunity for journalists and media executives of all the media organisations in Rivers State to converge on a great moment of relaxation to exchange pleasantries while sitting over luncheon.
Ibim, is Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Commissioner of Information and Communications, Rivers State.