Bayelsa Government Commends Bayelsa NUJ

 

Bayelsa State Government has commended Journalists operating  in the state  for cooperating with the state government.

This was as they were charged to continue carrying  out their roles in the society saying  that news of  today is not as investigative  as they used to be under Ray Ekpu and Dele Giwa.

Speaking  on Thursday in Yenagoa during the Nigeria Union of Journalists( Bayelsa State Council), Media Summit, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo who represented Governor Douye Diri emphasized that most of the  journalists of today only write only "they said" instead of  investigative reporting.

According to the deputy governor, Journalists has always been and will continue to be the Fourth Estate of the Realm adding that "the role is defined in the constitution.

The deputy governor acknowledged the role journalists played in Nigerian independence from colonial era to  the development of the  nation from the time of late Nnamdi Azikiwe, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo to late Enahoro, amongst others.

He said that those who are visionary are full of innovation, maintaining  that those with vision create new things. 

He described the leadership of NUJ in the state as the one with foresight that knows where it is going saying the leadership of journalist in the state is foresighted.

He said: " I commend  journalists in the state for their collaboration and not being confrontational, not being competitive and not being  counter productive.

" It is not when you are antagonistic that you are active. When  you are genuine and productive, you will  be relevant.

"We must as a Journalists know our roles. Ours is not to sit down and look. Unfortunately, the journalism in Nigeria is beginning to dwindle because News today is not as investigative the way it used to be under Ray Ekpu and Dele Giwa as we have more of they said than investigative reporting.

"The news that occupy our social media space needs to be corrected because in the absence of the best, the available occupies any space left.

In her remark, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy,   Ebiuwou Koku Obiyai, stated that the on going Summit would attract investments that will benefit journalists and bring profit to both the state and the media industry.

According to her, “I grew up in Lagos State, where during programmes, you would see a translator interpreting from Yoruba to English. I am happy that the summit will also address the blue economy.”

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),  Alhassan Yahaya, commended the Bayelsa State Government for its numerous ongoing projects.

 Yahaya also noted  the unity among NUJ members in the state and appreciated the elders for their contributions. He emphasized the importance of using social media responsibly not for personal gain but for accurate information dissemination.

He said, “Since I arrived, I have been moving round the state monitoring projects such as the ring road, Nembe-Brass road, internal road constructions and the dualization of the Opolo road.”

In his welcome address, the state  Chairman of the NUJ,  Tonye Yemoleigha, stressed that journalists should be capable of translating into major local languages like Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Ijaw to ensure accurate reporting and avoid spreading fake news.

In his keynote address,  Professor Aniefiok Udoudo, who spoke on "Media, Culture and Identity in Bayelsa state, charged " media practitioners  to engage themselves properly with the society.

"Media has a role to discharge,  promote, or demote endangering culture. This is where culture imperialism, culture homogeneity, universality culture metropolis or culture core come in. The Summit is to raise the culture and identity of Bayelsans. 

The inaugural Media Summit with the theme: Media, Culture and Identity in Bayelsa State: Promoting Indigenous Perspective was for journalists to identify with the culture of the people in the course of doing their job.