December 16, (THEWILL) – Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, has challenged media practitioners in Benue state to be in the vanguard of objective, fair and balance reportage of events in the course duty for the good of the society.
Senator Akume, who threw the challenge at the NUJ house Makurdi during the opening ceremony of the aiden Gubernatorial Interactive Forum (M-GIF), organised by the Benue State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists in collaboration with FESTIVA, noted that it was by so doing that the polity would not be heated.
Represented at the occasion by the member, representing Tarka constituency and minority leader in the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Bem Mngutyo, the minister commended journalists for their role in nation building; urging them to remain focused and fearless in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
During a presentation, Dr. Chris Orngu, faulted the zoning of the governorship position, describing it as a strategy adopted by the political class to manipulate things to their advantage.
Dr Chris Orngu, a guest speaker at the ceremony and a diplomatic historian at the Benue State University, Makurdi, presented a paper at the event.
In his paper entitled, “Promoting Participatory Democracy and Good Governance”, he said there is a disconnect between leaders and people at the grassroots, which makes it difficult for them to know what the needs of the people are.
He advocated for a proper leadership recruitment process that would create room for participatory democracy, advising that religion and ethnicity should be discarded in order to put in place genuine political actors.
While calling on journalists to report both positive and negative issues in the society to correct leaders, Dr Orngu asserted that Benue state and Nigeria need a vibrant masses to checkmate bad governance.
Earlier in a remark, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Benue state council, Comrade Steven Ijoh, said the programme, which is to last for two weeks, is intended to provide a platform for all governorship contenders in Benue state to unveil to the electorates what they have in stock for them.
According to him, apart from allowing the public an opportunity to take an informed decision, the platform will also avail media practitioners direct access to aspirants on close range and promised balanced reportage affairs ahead of general election in 2023.
In a vote of thanks, Caretaker Chairman of The Voice Chapel, Comrade Ajayi Kume appreciated journalists for their commitment towards ensuring good governance and commended aspirants for gracing the ceremony.
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