The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Barr Mrs Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, has cautioned journalists to be more careful and detailed in their reportage, especially now that people just churn out junks in the media space through the social media.
Mrs Clapton-Ogolo made the remarks in her office on Wednesday, in Port Harcourt, when the newly elected officials of Independent Publishers Association of Rivers State (RIVPA) paid her a courtesy visit.
The Permanent Secretary who advised the officials to work hard to avoid all forms of friction in the Association, encouraged them to ensure that the government of the State is positively reported.
Mrs. Clapton-Ogolo reiterated that Rivers State, under the able leadership of Chief Nyesom Wike has done so much for the people of the State, calling on RIVPA to ensure that the activities and programmes of the government are properly published.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that aside the numerous projects and infrastructure put in place by Governor Wike, the government also needed to be commended for fighting criminality and insecurity head on in the State.
The Permanent Secretary however decried the situation where the peace and security that have made the State safe and stable for businesses and other legal activities to thrive is not being properly reported and brought to the public glare, charging the publishers to give credence to the untiring efforts of Governor Nyesom Wike in ensuring the prevailing peace and security of the State in their reports.
Mrs. Clapton-Ogolo re-echoed the need for journalists to remind Nigerians that votes have been counting in Rivers State since the inception of Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration and that come 2023 the people’s votes will count the more, especially now that everything has been Simplified.
Earlier in his remarks, the newly elected Chairman of RIVPA, Prince Mike Iwezor, said that they were in the Ministry to introduce the newly elected officials of the Association, saying that the Association and the Ministry have had a mutually beneficial relationship spanning over 15 years, and thanked the Permanent Secretary for the warm reception accorded them.
Prince Iwezor also said that the visit is to help strengthen the existing relationship between the Ministry and the Association, calling on the Ministry to try to be supportive to the private publishers in the State through advert placements and subventions to enable their papers to be at the news stand now that production costs are rising astronomically on daily basis.
In a vote of thanks, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Association, High Chief Monday Wehere, assured that with the kind of enabling environment the government has created, the publishers will continue to project the government in proper light.
Present during the visit were Directors of the Ministry.
