Port Manager, Rivers Port Complex, Port Harcourt, Engr Yenusa Ibrahim Anji, has described the mass media as a veritable tool for the growth and development of the maritime sector in the country.
He also said the media was a major stakeholder in the building of the nation’s economy.
Engr Anji made this known to The Tide on Wednesday, shortly after a visit by Energy and Maritime Reporters, (EMR) Rivers State Chapter, to his office.
The port manager, who lauded the group for the visit said, positive reportage of the port by the media would improve its operations and attract investors to the port.
“Your reports are very important to the management of the port as it would improve the port traffics and attract investors and importers to do business in the port complex”, he said.
Engr.Anji told the energy and maritime reporters that security had improved at the port as the management had installed electronic gadgets to curb acts of criminality in the complex.
The port, he said, had been repositioned for better service delivery to the public as well as to increase vessels and cargos traffics.
The port manager appealed to the media to shun fake news, but always investigate their reports before going to the press.
He noted that fake and unbalanced reports were capable of destroying the maritime industry and portray the nation in negative ways.
Earlier, Chairman, EMR, Rivers State Chapter, Mr Martins Giadom, had said the group was in the port to deepen its relationship with the management of the Rivers Port Complex through a robust media engagement that was deep, constructive and beyond mere social media commentaries.
He said the group was aimed at providing media contents that would grow the nation’s economy, especially the maritime and oil and gas sectors.
Giadom assured the port management of the group’s support in reporting and promoting the activities of the port without bias.