Make Politicians Accountable To Citizens, Cole Urges Media

Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has challenged the Nigerian media to make politicians to be accountable to the citizens.

This is as the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Rivers State called for a violent-free atmosphere before during and after the forthcoming general elections in the state.

Cole spoke during a dinner organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel as part of activities marking the 2023 Correspondents’ Week, with the theme: ‘Media Vigilance Ahead of Peaceful 2023 Election In Rivers State.’

The dinner, which was chaired by the Head, Corporate Communications, Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, Dr. Jossy Nkwocha, was attended by the General Manager of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC), Chief Ernest Chinwo and several other journalists and non-journalists.

The APC governorship candidate, who was represented by the spokesman of the party’s campaign council in the state, Sogbeye Eli, regretted the the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was doing everything possible to stifle the voice of the opposition in the state.

He said: “The constitution says there should be a multiparty democracy. I other words, we are not running a one-party system. But here, some politicians say Rivers State is a one-party state and they do everything possible to stifle the voice of the opposition. That is not correct.

“I am challenging the media to hold politicians accountable. I wouldn’t stand here and say PDP does it and that we, APC don’t do it. I said so because we are in an era where politicians are moving from party A to party B easily. I think the media has a role in defining borders of political parties.

“Politicians should be held accountable. You don’t say A now and next time you say B. No! You must be held to account for the thing you do and say. With that we can have a system that looks like you are being held accountable by the people.”

In his goodwill message, the immediate-past Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Paulinus Nsirim, commended members of the Correspondents’ Chapel for their untiring efforts in ensuring that the activities of the state government were brought to public light.

Nsirim, who was represented by the Director of Publications in the State Ministry of Information and Communications, Celestine Ogolo, said:

“Congratulations to the entire executives and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel for holding this all important week and for the theme of the week, which is every apt as we move to election in few weeks from now.

“I commend the executives of the chapel for their untiring efforts in ensuring that activities of government of Rivers State are brought to public light.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Amaechi Okonkwo, said journalists in the state desire a peaceful election going forward, pointing out that the state have had a lot of election-related violence.