By Rufus Oseji
Asaba: Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has described some of those masquerading as online journalists as terrorists and blackmailers, calling on relevant authorities to check mate their activities in the country.
Dr. Uduaghan disclosed this in Asaba, Delta state capital at the 2017 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, explained that notable politicians has been a major victims of these online blackmailers through the use of the social media.
The immediate past governor who was the Chairman of the 2017 press week lamented the ugly trend, which has now over-ride the traditional process of information dissemination in the country, stressing that it has also become a medium for blackmailers and fraudsters to extort people in the society, appealing to the NUJ and government at various levels to help in reducing the menace in the society.
“Desperate whistle blowers and blackmailers now rely on social media to peddle their trade. Journalists should try to curtail these excesses by carrying out proper investigative journalism to avoid peddling this false information to the Public, because some of our reporters now rely on social media in information gathering.”
“Like I often say Blackmailers can bring about insecurity, especially when some people in government rely and use them to witch others”
“As a former governor I will do everything to ensure peace of our State, that I will not compromise”.
He stressed that the peace and security of the State would be his priority, while cautioning those in positions of power to curtail the activities of blackmailers for the interest of peace in the State.
The 2017 Press Week with the theme ‘GOOD GOVERNANCE, JOURNALISTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA”, Uduaghan explained that ugly stories have now overtaken the bad and good stories in the social media, noting that social media has a lot of advantages both in information dissemination and checkmating people in position of power.
“Social media has also been effective in Governance, like Donald Trump who uses Twitter to propagate his ideology and correct dissenting information from other sources.”
Lamenting that blackmailers has took the advantage quick information dissemination of the social media, to blackmail, extort and peddle false information to members of the public adding that journalist should always verify information before going to press, adding that Good Governance can be achieved through reputable Journalists and online publishers.
“Social media is fast in information dissemination but the almost instant reportage can be devastating. For instance, the incumbent Governor went to the House of Assembly to deliver a speech and social media hawkers quickly dish out false information quoting that the past government was indebted to the tune of N700 Million Naira.”
“ I had wanted to react to such unfounded rumour but I decided to stay mute for now, even the current information commissioner was addressing press recently, the amount has been reduced from N700M to N250M, I know it will still go down”
Okowa Sues For More Media Support To Enable Nigeria Surmount Recession
Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has sued for more media cooperation to enable the country overcomes its current economic woes.
According to the governor, Nigeria as a nation need media support more than never before, now that the country’s economic is wobbling.
“There are good journalists but, there are those who wants to misinform Nigerians,” Governor Okowa asserted, adding that it was important for government to cooperate with the media to move the country forward.
“We will continue to do the best we can to support the press and I must thank you (the press) for the cooperation we have continued to receive from you.
“It is only through partnership with the NUJ that will see us through in this trying time in our nation’s history,” Governor Okowa said.
He however used the occasion to congratulate NUJ, Delta State Council for the success of their press week and emphasized that he was satisfied with the address already read by his deputy at the occasion.
According to the governor, “I want to congratulate you (Journalists) on today’s occasion and that I want to note that it was a great success.”
Earlier, the state Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, who read the governor’s address before he later arrived the occasion had observed that; “alternative news media such as online journals and social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) have reshaped and redefined the information landscape.
According to him, “The new reality is “news-as-you-go”. With a smartphone or ipad you can be in your office or in a taxi and be following events around the world as they unfold”.
“At the moment, the social media is very much like leaving an automatic rifle in the hands of a five-year old with all the danger that it portends not only to the child but to his immediate family and the society at large,” Barr. Otuaro said.
The Media Owns no Govt Obligation to Succeed, Osunbor
Delivering a lecture on the topic, “Journalists, Social Media and Good Governance,” former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, asserted that the role of the media in ensuring good governance is enshrined in section 32 of the Nigeria constitution.
Prof. Osunbor noted that the obligation of ensuring good governance must not rest on the journalist alone but should be a collective responsibility of every citizen, adding that one way of achieving this now is through the social media.
Earlier in an address, the Delta State Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Norbert Chiazor, disclosed that the Delta State NUJ had trained about 40 journalists – Deltans and non Deltans in the prestigious Reuters News Agency in London, United Kingdom and also the union have partnered with different organizations to hold series of seminars.
Comrade Chiazor who expressed his appreciation to the state governor for developing the NUJ secretariat to an appreciable and magnificent level, noted that his tenure is blessed with the monumental achievement of the building of the Delta State NUJ press center.
