A veteran journalist, Chief Uche Udedibia, on Friday advised Nigerians to adopt more friendly attitude in dealing with media practitioners to get the best out of the profession.
Journalists, Image extracted from Google Udedibia, a former Managing Director, Anambra State Broadcasting Service(ASBS) gave the advice during interactive meeting organised for heads of media organisations by the state office of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Awka. He said the media played critical role in developing the society, pointing out that if the treatment to the practitioners was friendlier, it would further accelerate the development of the country.
Udedibia said that Nigerians should see the media as partners in progress as done in most advance countries. “The Nigerian press, in my perception, is not under any censorship but the practitioners are driven by patriotism to project the image of the country. “This they do in the manner we are perceived as a force to reckon with across the world today,’’ he said. Udedibia, who chaired the meeting, commended the new state Director of NOA, Mr Charles Nwoji, for his thoughtfulness in engaging the media as key partners in the task of enlightening the people.
Nwoji, in his address of welcome, described the media as key to the agency meeting its task of making positive impact in the orientation and re-orientation of the people. According to Nwoji, NOA in the state has commenced campaign for the people to safe guide public property in their areas and have respect for the national symbols. “Other programmes lined up by the agency include; anti-cultism and examination ethic campaign in schools. “We are equally sensitising eligible adults to register and get the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of 2019 general elections,” he said.
Nwoji, who stressed the need for effective participation of eligible people in the electoral process, observed that in spite the population density of people in the South-East, the number of registered voters was usually small. He, however, appealed to the media to help sustain the awareness for more people register and collect their PVCs to enable voter for candidates of their choice and enhance democracy. Abuchi Onwumere of the Fides newspaper, Greg Odiakosa (Radio Nigeria Purity FM) and Gab Okpaleke of Anambra Broadcasting Service, who attended the occasion commended NOA for organising the meeting. NAN
