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Ganduje Tasks Editors To Be Conflict Sensitive
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has declared open 2021 Nigerian Guild of Editors Biennial Convention, themed “The Media in COVID-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities,” with a charge on editors to be conflict sensitive.
Describing the event as an opportunity to look into national development as it relates to media practice, he urges that, “It is very important at this time that we should use the media for the promotion of peace and stability and change the viewpoints that could alter public views and sentiment toward a more peaceful resolution of our multi-faceted current crises.”
Adding that, “If and only if we as a nation are interested in peace and harmony, we must reject hate propaganda machinery. In the main, this is a time Editors should be conflict-sensitive about our nation.”
He observed that, crossing of redlines by some media organisations in recent times has impacted on the nation’s unity, harmony and integration.
Urging that, “Our brave, collective pursuit in uniting this nation, underscores the fact that for as long as we have a common purpose, we will find no obstacle big enough to stop us from marching on. The media and particularly our gatekeepers have a role to play in this regard.”
While urging media to ensure looking into social responsibility aspect of their practice for national development, he maintains that, the call for freedom of the Press, observance of ethical standard must also be seen to be respected.
Ganduje also said that his government took bold steps in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic to a standstill, adding that the development was informed by the priority placed on the health of the people.
According to him such measures includes prevention, curative and palliative in line with the NCDC guidelines adding that if such measures were not quickly put in place, ,the consequences of Covid-19 on the people of the state would have been detrimental.
He said Kano was one of the states that took the Covid-19 pandemic very seriously and tackled it squarely in a manner which earned it commendation from the National Center for Disease Control NCDC.
Ganduje charged the Media to imbibe the theory of Social Responsibility especially in the reportage of issues concerning health.
The governor decried the misuse of press freedom by Journalists in the area of fake news and advised that they reflect on the true state of the nation.
Ganduje who assured the Guild of the safety of the state asked that as the watchdog of society,it is expected to live above board in the conduct of its election.
He told the Editors about his government ‘s numerous projects, and programmes as well as the appointment of members of the Press into key positions in his administration.
Prof Umar Pate, Vice Chancellor Federal University, Kashere, commended Ganduje’s effort in maintaining good working relationship with the media.
He explained in clearer terms that fake news now affects media credibility and development. He therefore called on media practitioners to stick to ethical standard and also follow suit in using technology, as it is obtained presently.
Present at the event were, former governor of Ogun state, Chief Aremu Olusegun Osoba, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Prof Umar Pate, former Presidents of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), former and serving Presidents of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), among many other captains of the media industry.
Delivering his address, the President of the Guild, Mustapha Isah brought the challenges of press freedom in the country to the front burner.
Isah wondered if there was indeed press freedom in the country as recent clampdown on media houses recently by the National Broadcasting Commission NBC suggested the contrary.
“ It is rather unfortunate that Nigeria has consistently retrogressed in the Global Press Freedom Index since 2005 To think that this is happening in a democracy makes it more worrisome.
“ Yes, the 1999 Constitutiion gives the media the responsibility to hold the government accountable to the people. That means our duty is to ask pertinent questions about governance on behalf of the people and unearthed what the government is trying to hide.
“ This is what creates the friction between the government and the media.but government’s resort to self- help through arrest of Journalists and clampdown on media houses are not the solution.” he said.
The president spoke on fake news attributing the menace to the advent of the social media.
While he noted that the social media was not completely bad, he said its abuses were important for immediate solution through government and requisite agencies with service providers.
Isah said that practitioners of fake news” are not members of the NGE as members are trained Journalists and responsible gatekeepers”.
On the State of the Nation, the guild president described the prevailing insecurity in the country as frightening saying too many lives have been lost.
He said while it was the responsibility of the government to secure lives, it was incumbent on the guild to liase with security agencies through the provision of credible information on the activities of criminals.
However, a new Executive Committee to pilot the affairs of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) for the next two years has emerged.
This is the outcome of the Guild’s 2021 Convention held at the Tahir Guest Palace Hotel, Kano, last Monday night.
In a keenly contested election, devoid of acrimony and rancour, in which 241 delegates from various parts of the country voted, the incumbent President, Mustapha Isah was returned.
He scored 176 votes to defeat Victoria Ibanga, who got 54 votes; just as Ali Ali emerged Deputy President unopposed.
Samuel Egbala got 132 votes to beat Sheddy Ozoene, who scored 88 votes for the position of vice president, East.
Bolaji Adebiyi emerged as VP West with 151 votes; beating Ken Ogbechie, who garnered 80 votes.
For the position of VP, North, Habibi Nuhu emerged unopposed, just as Iyobosa Uwugianren was elected unopposed as General Secretary.
Assistant National Secretary’s position was clinched by Austeen Elewodalu, who got 126 votes; to beat Rose Moses, who got 86 votes.
Steve Nwosu won the election as Treasurer with 150 votes. Catherine Agbo scored 51 votes while Juliet Chinda Njiowhor scored 26 votes.
Others are Social/Publicity Secretary, with Eze Anaba winning with164 votes; while Chooks Oko got 53 votes.
For the two positions of Standing Committee Member, East, Ngwuoke Ngwuoke and Boma Nwuke we’re returned unopposed.
Fir Standing Committee Member, West, Onuoha Ukeh got 174 votes; Gabriel Akinadewo scored 174 votes; Woke Shogunle got 172 votes; and duly elected while Abimbola Tooki who got 61 votes, lost the election.
For Standing Committee Member, North, Umoru Ibrahim got 202 votes; and Gbenga Adeshina got 113 votes to emerged victorious while Mark Amarere scored 99 votes.
Earlier, the 2021 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) had kicked off in Kano with about 300 delegates.
Malam Sule Yau-Sule, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.
Yau-Sule disclosed that more than 278 had so far registered as against 250 expected by the committee, adding that more participants were being expected before the end of the day.
“People are happy with the peaceful atmosphere of the state, that is why the turn out is every impressive,” he said.
According to him, the challenges they are facing now is over shooting of expectation and they are able to take care of it.
The LOC chairman described the theme of the convention: “The media in COVID -19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities” as very apt and timely, and urged media practitioners and journalists to make use of the presentation to their advantage.
NAN reports that the NGE convention would last from May 31 to June 2, 2021.
It is the first to be hosted in Kano.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.