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Hazards So Fatal …Thankless Path Of A Vibrant Press
When on a state visit to Georgia, last year, United States of America (USA), Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said, a given citizenry is only as informed as its media, she was merely highlighting in as brief a manner as the circumstance allowed, the enormous responsibility of a dutiful press. Without a vibrant press, the people wallow in a measured darkness.
But with such vibrancy comes a price, sometimes too fatal to be considered as mere professional hazard. To have a society that is better informed, educated, entertained, and socially engineered for proactive development, poor soldiers of the press must daily search for the facts in issue necessary for such societal education.
Sometimes, such vital information of great human interest is concealed because of the moral, even criminal desires of some pervert who wills such facts be buried for ever. At other times, it’s free and open, especially when such is for the self-aggrandisement of the information holder.
But because society daily desires answers to questions, both raised and ignored, to be properly abreast with how government runs its business, how public funds are committed, and more importantly, to fore-warn unsuspecting members of the public about potent dangers they are unaware of; the media must not only help raise vital questions, it must also craft such vital facts and disseminate same in a timely fashion for the proper education of the people.
Such duties are not personal to the media or its practitioner. The journalist is merely an instrument necessary to perform such thankless job which very often pitches him against varied influences, whose diabolic pastime may be to seek to hide from public scrutiny such facts or determine how such facts must be presented or misrepresented. Either way, it cannot be for society’s good but theirs.
Sadly, by their training, the journalists are left with a choice, to present the facts as they possibly can, in an objective, balanced, and timely manner, grounded most often on public safety and interest. But in doing this, the journalist inadvertently embarks on a perilous journey which destination, very often, is death, not by natural factors, but through gruesome murder by influential figures whose egoes might have been bruised by such expose and at other times, by morally depraved, red-eyed and criminally-minded social misfits, to whom human life is like a deflated football that can be thrown away at will.
Such was the end that befell victims of mindless bombings of three media houses: ThisDay, Sun and Moment in Abuja and Kaduna simultaneously by faceless killers to whom the critical media had been bug. And without any known provocation other than carrying out their constitutionally allowed duties, the three media houses became terror targets. In the aftermath, as many as eight people died and some 19 others injured, most of them, critically.
Shamelessly, when the dust raised by the explosions and concomitant deaths settled, a visionless Islamist sect named Boko Haram, accepted responsibility, and gave reasons which could go as shameful cacophony coughed by a mentally deranged saddist. Just because it could.
One such excuse was that the three papers had not only been too critical of Boko Haram activities, they failed to champion the vision and objectives of their war against the Nigerian state and government. And that the bombings were meant to teach the papers a bitter lesson, and that way also warn all other media houses against being unduly critical of their activities. What a shame!
Since the killing, by a letter bomb, in 1986, of the founding Editor-In-Chief of the Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, last Thursday’s terror attacks were the first on the media by the Boko Haram sect – a group of ill-informed and criminally minded Islamic extremists whose only known pastime has been bloodletting, mass murders and human destruction in the name of fighting Western education and clandestine move to impose Islam not only on a section of the country, but if possible, the whole nation.
By these attacks, Boko Haram believed that it would silence the media or wipe them into line – a line which end is destruction.
If that was the intention, it failed, because the triumph of evil over good is only but temporary.
Rather than instill fear, the attacks have further strengthened the media practitioners and boosted in them the resolve to condemn everything that seeks to replace love with hate, hope with fear, and life with death of unprovoked kind. And at peace time.
This is why Nigerians must be united behind the Federal Government in fighting this war waged by a few who seek to destroy the bonds that unite us, even in our diversity and variance of our tongues and tribes. The citizenry must be more alert to security breaches where ever they live and must report suspicious characters to the nearest police station.
Happily, the State Security Service (SSS) has assured that some of the suspected culprits behind the bombings have since been arrested and that, it hopes meaningful information could be accessed towards unraveling the principal actors of that dastardly act. The SSS needs to do better than that.
They must articulate better operational tactics that is preventive in nature, through improved intelligence gathering. No where is the war against terrorists easy because of their faceless nature as distinct from a conventional army with known operational units. In this case, the next door neighbour could be the enemy, which is why vigilance, better intelligence gathering and decisive punishment for apprehended culprits, are key.
The Federal Government must realise the enormity of the dangers we face and step-up the search and punishment of the enemies before many more are coerced into enlisting with their ranks. Just for the money.
It is indeed a big shame that a once happy but poor people could now be turned against themselves for reasons many are yet to comprehend, other than that Western education is a sin, and should therefore, be discontinued. Yes, the media, as one of its roles, also educate but are not schools. So, what’s the point?
The attacks merely amplify the unfortunate absurdity of the Boko Haram’s agenda and the futility of its drive. However, if the group has any other issue that deserves consideration by normal mortals, and not fellow mentally deranged lot, it must step forward and present such issues for dialogue. Until and unless that is done, members of the group should be treated as enemy combatants whose lone desire is blood. Therefore, the rules of engagement must apply. Unless such persons surrender and be treated as Prisoners of War (POW), the federal forces must search for and kill them before getting killed. And that is possible only with the right kind of intelligence backing.
My Agony is that those suicide bombers being killed in their attempts to kill others are mere foot-soldiers.
The right war lies in identifying and apprehending their sponsors and financiers. When shall we get there? Someday, with an even more proactive and courageous media. That begins now.
This is because, the attacks rather than serve as set-backs are, to the media, a wake-up call that the enemy might well be next door. Such is the hazard we face.
Soye Wilson Jamabo
President Jonathan And Mr Nduka Obaigbena
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.