Politics

2019: INEC Tasks Media On Professionalism

Published

7 years ago

January 15, 2018

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised the media to be mindful of its reportage of electoral events during the 2019 general elections.
The commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the plea at an event “Agenda for the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ Retreat’’ organised by the U.S. Mission Nigeria-Public Affairs Section in Lagos.
Yakubu, represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC in Lagos, Mr Sam Olumekun said that this would have “a great effect on facilitating credible elections and corresponding social order’’.
According to him, it is important to observe that in the previous elections, the report of the media on electoral process has high degree of superficiality.
“Some reports on the process were not properly investigated, and some basic facts were glossed over,’’ INEC chief said.
He said that as stakeholders in the electoral system, the media was expected to maintain a high level of sustainability in the coverage of all electoral activities to ensure that records and facts were not distorted.
“We expect the media, being a veritable tool for information disseminating, to ensure that they apply a professional acumen to their reports so as not to leave prospective voters helpless and confused due to distorted information.
“The 2019 general elections demandd that reportage of the process meets the prime concern of media coverage of elections which entails the right of voters to full and accurate information and also their rights to participate in debates and dialogue on political matters.
“Inherent to this task is the entitlement of parties to use the media as platform for interaction with the public,’’ Yakubu said.
The INEC chief, however, advised the media to resist the temptation of being used to fan the embers of ethno-religious crisis prevalent in nascent democracy.
He also urged the media to give prominence to bringing out voters through adequate sensitisation of the citizens.
The Chairman of Channels Media Group, Mr John Momoh, expressed concerns over the role of social media and the phenomenon of fake news in the nation’s media landscape.
Momoh, who spoke on “What the Future Hold for The Media’’, said that creative ideas could be transformed into innovative media products.
“The subject matter at this retreat is so appropriate. What does the future hold for the Nigerian Media?
“How do we transform creative ideas into innovative media products? How do we leverage international partnerships for profitability?
“For those of us who have been in the broadcast industry for a decade or more, we know what we mean when we say the industry has digitally disrupted.
“Today, new markets are being created, with a new set of values that now threatened the existing markets,” Momoh, who is also the Chairman, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), said.
He said that the use of social media gives a lot of concern as the 2019 Elections was approaching, because of “ease way of spreading fake news online.
“Social media, blogs and the ‘fake news’ phenomenon have all thrown the media into a precarious position.
“Those of us who still believe in the civic value of good journalism has been left in a quandary, as politicians are having a field day; taking a cue from the U.S. President Donald Trump, lambasting journalists for false reportage and balance.
“These aren’t the best times for journalists; social media, which many hoped will be a saviour with its open access and extensive reach, has actually compounded the problem by rewarding speed and sensation over accuracy,” he said.
Momoh said that broadcast and print media were faced with the challenge of unprofessionally reducing the quality of information disseminated.
“The broadcaster now faces the endemic challenge of unprofessional activities of some content producers, who create content that does not meet the minimum requirement of the objectives of the mass media.
“The unprofessional activities were all in the drive to wrongly influence the society.
“Newspapers are trying to adjust to the times by creating websites of their own, but that also leads to the decline in their print readership since they now put all their content online for free.
“A pointer to the fact that newspapers of the future will mainly take digital form,” Momoh added.
In his comments, Prof. Lai Osho, a former Dean, School of Communications, Lagos State University, Ojo, called for the strengthening of the gate-keeping in chain of news processes.
Osho noted that the media were going through tough time, ranging from economy pressure to technology arising from the activities of online/social media, among others.

Politics

Nwodo, Secondus Hail New PDP National Secretary, NWC

Published

5 days ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

Two former National Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo and Prince Uche Secondus, have congratulated the new National Secretary of the party, Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye.
They also expressed gratitude to members of the National Working Committee (NWC) for standing firm in defence of the rule of law and party discipline.
The two former national chairmen said this in a joint statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
Media adviser to Prince Secondus, Mr. Ike Abonyi, made this public in a statement he signed on their behalf.
He quoted both men as saying that by recognising Chief Ude-Okoye, the party leadership had demonstrated its total commitment to the rule of law and rightly portrayed the party as a truly democratic institution.
He said, “Nwodo and Secondus warned the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Federal Government to allow the opposition parties to breathe, as a strong opposition is the right measure for vibrant democracy all over the world.”
According to him, the two former chairmen also commended the PDP Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), and particularly the chairman of the Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, for being resolute in defense of the rule of law.
The experienced party leaders advised the new secretary and the members of the NWC to work towards strengthening the party to position it as the party to beat in the subsequent elections.
The party leaders also advised the party leadership to be forward-looking and not allow their acrimonious past to affect their vision for the party.

Politics

No Delta Assembly PDP Lawmaker Defecting To APC – Majority Leader

Published

5 days ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the Delta State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, said that none of the assembly members was warming up to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Majority Leader of the House, Mr Emeka Nwaobi, said this in Asaba while reacting to the allegation that 10 out of the 22 members of the assembly were planning on joining the APC.
Mr Nwaobi said that all the 22 PDP members in the House were irrevocably committed to the thrust of the party, and their loyalty to the PDP was unquestionable.
He, however, disclosed that five out of the seven APC members in the assembly were already indicating interest in joining the PDP, adding that their defection plan was already in the pipeline.
Similarly, the Speaker, Rt Hon. Dennis Guwor, advised residents of the state, particularly PDP faithful, to discountenance such allegations.
According to him, members of the party were solidly loyal to the party’s ideals in the House.
“There is no doubt that the 22 members of the PDP in the state house of assembly are intact. There is no indication anywhere that any member of the party is planning to join any other party.
“Rather, there is strong indication that no fewer than five out of the seven members of the APC in the House are already warming up to join the PDP.
“So let me use this forum to inform them that the umbrella is wide enough to accommodate as many that are interested in joining us,” he said.

Politics

Rivers Assembly Tasks LGAs On Youth Restiveness …Confirms Assembly, LG Service Commissions

Published

5 days ago

February 14, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State House of Assembly has called on local government chairmen in the state to aggressively tackle violent disturbances in the local government areas through empowerment schemes.
Deputy Speaker and Chairman, House Committee on Local Government Affairs, Rt Hon. Timothy Adolphus, gave the charge when the Committee visited Akuku-toru, Degema and Asari-toru local government areas on an on-the-spot assessment of projects inspection as part of its oversight function.
The Deputy Speaker, who noted that lack of empowerment or job creation brings about agitations, said the youths’ involvement in criminal activities could be reduced to the barest minimum if they’re meaningfully engaged.
Also speaking, the House Leader, Hon Sokari Goodboy, said the committee’s visit was not to ridicule any chairman, adding that the administration in the state has placed emphasis on the principle of checks and balances.
Hon. Goodboy stressed the need for council chairmen to replicate the good examples of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in their various councils, especially in projects execution and empowerment of the people.
According to him, Governor Fubara had spread development projects to all the 23 local government areas in the state and therefore enjoined them to replicate same in their council areas, adding that it is by so doing that the people at the grassroots would feel the impact of Governor Fubara’s administration.
The Committee, however, commended the various council chairmen for doing a good job and urged them to redouble their efforts in projects execution and empowerment of the people.
In Akuku-toru Local Government Area, the Chairman, Mrs Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, said her administration was following in the footsteps of Governor Fubara.
She said her mantra is service before self, adding that her administration had embarked on impactful projects that will benefit the people such as renovation of Obonoma health center and the doctors quarters; renovation of the local government headquarters to provide conducive work environment for the staff and strengthened security in the area.
According to her, the Abonnema cemetery was being reconstructed and remodelled, while her administration has given the people of Abonnema 18 hours power supply while empowering them in various capacities.
On his part, the Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Dr Agiriye Harry, said his administration had carried out several renovation work at the council secretariat, procured 150 solar lights, configured and renovated some health centers and empowered about 200 widows.
The Chairman of Asari-toru Local Government Area, Engr Sule Amachree, on his part, informed the Committee that all projects executed by his administration followed due process as transparency is his watch word.
He said his aim was to embark on projects that would increase the internally generated revenue of the council, adding that his administration has made arrangements to attract the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to the local government, functional judicial system as well as sustainable housing programme to create jobs for the youths.
The committee had earlier visited Abua/Odual ,Ogba Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas where similar charges were given.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed chairmen and members of the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission and the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission.
Those screened and confirmed for the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission were: Dr Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, chairman; Barr Jones Ogbonda; Dr Kennedy Ebeku; Mr Soberekon Clark and Engr Kingston Sylvanus.
For the local government service commission, the House screened and confirmed GoodLife Ben as chairman, Chief Emmanuel Jaja, Mrs Betty Warmate, Barr Jerome Chimenem, Barr Philip Okparaji and Mr Christian Amadi.

John Bibor