The former Commissioner for Information and Communication in Rivers State, Dr Emma Okah has described National Network Newspaper as the conscience of the Rivers people as represented in the editorial content of the Newspaper.
He stated this to newsmen during the award and dinner night organised to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the newspaper.
He also described the 2 decades of existence of National Network newspaper as 20 years of hard work and resilience.
Congratulating the newspaper’s team, he maintained that it has become a paper of interest in Rivers state and lauded the publisher, Reverend Cannon Jerry Needam for his dogeddness and fearless spirit.
“I am privileged to be one of those with him when the idea of the newspaper came to fruition in 2004.
It is a great joy to some of us who are part of his success story”, the elated National Network newspaper awardee explained.
Chronicling what the newspaper has suffered in its 20 years of uninterrupted presence in the newsstand, the former Chief Press Secretary to Rivers State Government maintained that the channel of information and news gathering, is important in journalism practice, stressing that it is impossible for journalism to thrive without public interest. “There is always this struggle between members of the public who do not want certain news items aired and those who want it aired and the position of the journalist in such situation marks the ingenuity of the journalism practice. What is important is to let the truth be told at all times”, Dr Okah reiterated.
