Ondo State Journalists Are Diligent–Hon. Olateju
By Olusegun HOSEA. 28th November,2023.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Ondo State, Honourable Bamidele Olateju has said Journalists in the state are diligent in their profession. She disclosed this today at Nigeria Union of Journalists,Ondo State Council during the opening ceremony and Symposium 2023 Press week celebrations with theme: Place of the Media in times of Socio-Economic Predicaments and Ondo State Politics . The Commissioner, who represented Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON, said Journalists had been cooperative in the way and manner they have been reporting the political crisis going on in the state.
According to her, she said the Governor said these media had been responsible and objectives in their reportage as they didn’t take any side in the cost of their line of duties.She also said that media Practitioners had been neutral and patriotic in handling the political issues in the state. She said many Journalists in Ondo State are reporters and that their duties was to report the news that is happening in the state and they have been doing justice to that . She said Governor asked her to commend them for the job well done.
In another development, Some of the Speakers at the programme challenged the Media Practitioners in the State for not balancing their reports due to what they called political financial inducement from some of the Politicians .
But the Chairman of the NUJ , Prince Leke Adegbite cantered this claims by drew the attention of most of these speakers to the page ten( 10) paragraph four(4) of the programme of the even that” It is also on record that this outgoing year has been one of the most difficult year in the history journalism practice in our dear sunshine state, considering the political situation confronting the state occasioned by the medical vacation of Mr Governor and impeachment process commenced against his Deputy, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa. I want to sincerely commend my colleagues for upholding their professional ethics despite pressure from the political class. We also want to place on record that the NUJ Executives under my watch has so far provided unblemished leadership for journalists in the state”.
The Chairman also used the medium to itemised some of the achievements recorded by his administration to include upgrading Press Centre Facilities as most of these facilities are begging for urgent attention especially the main Building which has the Big Hall, Secretary’s office, NAWOJ office, Library and host of others when they took over.
Other achievements are Sustenance of NUJ Free Medical Outreach, Payment of gratuities owned the Hope Newspaper Retired Staff, 2nd Phase of Pen Estate Project , appointment of Journalist(s)as permanent Secretaries, Owena Press Restructuring and OSRC Upgrading and host of others.
He called the attention of the Mr Governor to some of the Challenges that are facing the Media to be the current economic reality which have affected factually all the sectors including the media industry. He charged the FG to come up with with SPECIAL BAILOUT to rescue it’s media organization across the nation for the purpose of intervention in the area of new equipment and improve facilities that are obsolete in most of their stations.
In his conclusion, the chairman urged the FG to tackled the insecurity that is bedeviled the whole nation and that there is a need for the Federal Government to also tackled economic hardship confronting the citezenry. He implored them to make our nation’s Refineries functional and that reopening various borders would go along way in reducing people’s suffering nationwide.
