Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has called on the media to practice evidence-based journalism by educating and informing the public about political ,economic and social issues that have direct impact on the maintainence of peace and unity in the state and nation at large.
Governor Ikpeazu who gave the call when members of Radio Television and Theatre and Arts Workers Union(RATTAWU) and Nigeria Institute of Public Relations(NIPR),Abia state chapter, paid him a visit at Government House Umuahia,said that the media has the responsibility of setting the agenda for management of public perception towards achieving better results in nation building.
According to the governor, Nigeria is faced with a war championed by “the faceless press” on social media, which has made it important for the media to publish reports that promote nation building.
He regretted that agenda setting which is key to building good governance and national economic development is missing in today’s conventional media .
The governor therefore called for partnership between Abia government and the media to create an avenue for efficient public opinion management to facilitate sustainable development in Abia noting that activities of the media has direct impact on the Nigerian populace.
“The development of Abia is about the state government and the press.We need to enlist the support of critical stakeholders on what I like to call the classical press as opposed to the social media”,he said.
Ikpeazu,however commended the Nigerian press saying “they have done well in dishing out policies and drawing attention of political stakeholders to things that are not too good,and pointing out the way to things that are okay by holding the ground for the public to ventilate ideas to see how that can be improved going forward.”
Earlier in his speech, the National President, RATTAWU, Comrade Kabir Garba sought the Governor’s approval for the State to host her National Festival in Abia.
Garba who highlighted the essence of the festival, assured that it would among other things promote unity in Nigeria.
He commended the present administration for its determination to take the state to enviable heights adding that RATTAWU was willing to work with Abia government to achieve its desired objectives.
Also speaking, the State Chairman, NIPR, Mr. Anyaso Anyaso said the institute came to present her new executive to the Governor assuring that members of NIPR would work with the state government to project it’s people-oriented policies and programs.
According to the NIPR boss, concerted efforts would be made towards creating platforms and avenues for effective agenda setting in the state.
Highlight of the visit was the presentation of a Distinguished Merit Award on Governor Ikpeazu as the Most Humble Governor for Grassroot Mobilization by the executive of RATTAWU.
