Downplay News On Religious, Ethnic Fault Lines, Oborevwori Tells Media

Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has urged journalists to downplay news that aggravates the country’s religious and ethnic fault lines for enduring peace and sustainable national development.

He made the call on Monday in his remarks at the 30th anniversary of The Pointer Newspaper held in Asaba, with the theme: Honouring Truth and Unity Through Excellence in Public Communication, charging the media to disseminate news and information that promote national unity.

The Governor, who bagged The Pointer’s “Exemplary Democrat and Transformational Leadership Award” at the ceremony, emphasised that the media must speak truth to power civilly and responsibly and hold political leaders accountable to the people as enshrined in the Constitution.

While urging the mass media to consolidate its constitutional role of balanced, factual reportage and agenda-setting to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, he said the media have a solid social and cultural impact on society; thus, they should reflect and project a positive image of society.

Oborevwori said: “It has been thirty years of twists and turns, trials and triumphs in the turbulent world of print journalism.  In three decades of its existence, I want to say without any fear of contradiction that The Pointer has done well in playing the traditional media roles of information, education, and entertainment.

“Even more significantly, The Pointer has been a strong ally of the Delta State Government in promoting the policies and programmes of successive administrations while respectfully advocating for unity and peaceful co-existence.

The chairman of the occasion, Prof Sam Oyavbaire, a former Minister of Information, said The Pointer Newspapers remained one of the outstanding state-owned print media in Nigeria. They lauded the company for nurturing exceptional journalists.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza, said the newspaper had delivered on its mandate of information dissemination across the state and beyond.

Welcoming guests earlier, Chairman of The Delta Printing and Publishing Corporation, Publishers of The Pointer Newspaper, Olorogun Ebenezer Okorodudu, said the company had consistently delivered accurate information to Deltans, the South-South and Nigeria.