…As Prof. Onuchuku Tasks Media On Positive Reportage
As the National Network newspaper rolled out the drums in celebration of its 15years of unbroken print publication, the Guest Lecturer, Professor Okey Onuchuku has reeled out a staggering statistics of the state of the nation’s economy and how it affected the per capital income of the citizens warning of the need to get Nigeria back on the part of development with media playing a positive role.
The former Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt and member governing board of the university who spoke on the theme:’ The Media and Sustainable Economic Growth, a Case Study of Rivers State,” was quick to point out the implications of the social media infiltration into the media as purveyor of information with the attendant negativity. The guest lecturer noted that social development goes beyond increase in income level of individuals, as there were other indicators of development, such as education and other social infrastructure.
He reminded his audience that only sustainable development would ensure that resources were not depleted as this could only ensure that the future is not jeopardized. According to him , sustainable development transcends the present and is capable of meeting the needs of future generation.
Giving further disclosure of profile of Nigerian economic development indices, he lamented how the nation’s rose from a robust economy with remarkable per capital income in1980, when the nation attained an annual growth of 4.2 per cent. He noted that, in 2010, increase in oil and gas activities also resulted in good economic fortune for the nation until 2016 when the country slid into economic recession , occasioned by increase in population figure put at over 180 million, producing citizens below the poverty line put at over 84.7 million who could not affordN180 meal per day. He lamented high unemployment rate since 2018 which forced the nation’s economy to a double digit performance, leading to inflation and Nigeria being regarded as the poverty headquarters of the world.
He stated that, for instance, due to the negative economic indices of 2017, an average Nigerian was not expected to live beyond 54 years, a condition which accounted for low life expectancy in the country (according to the World Bank ), based on inadequate social amenities, amidst poor adult literacy rate. He observed that this staggering human index development indicators left Nigeria as a depressed and underdeveloped economy.
On how Rivers State is linked to the overall statistics, the guest lecturer said that based on the status of the state as the hub of oil and gas activities, what affected the economy would definitely have a negative effect on the state as it cannot be isolated from other component parts of the country. But he commended governor Nyesom Wike for putting p landmark projects in the face of economic hardship in the country.
He challenged media practitioners to deploy their professional experience by helping Rivers State to grow. He said this could be realized by ensuring equitable development through reporting capable of projecting the state in positive light. Challenged journalists to as a matter of social responsibility expose corruption and also took practitioners to task on the need to demand of leadership due process in the conduct of governmental activities. Professor Onuchukwu expressed concern that policies of government were sometimes misunderstood which underscored the need for fair reporting. He also made case for making information accessible to rural dwellers.
According to the guest lecturer, there is the need to create a positive image in order to attract investors to the state. “We should try to project where we are,” he urged, against the backdrop of the efforts being made by the Rivers State government to bring about safety and security.
He also expressed the need for an independent and objective media in order to function effectively, while noting that journalists should be at the forefront of peace advocacy, just as no economy can grow without security of lives.
