— As Info Commissioner hosts COOPA, OAPs, Correspondents, Newspaper Publishers, ORS to End of Year Thank You Meeting, Donates plots of land to media groups
Media practitioners in Akwa Ibom State comprising social media influencers, On Air Personalities, correspondents of national dailies, publishers of newspapers, heads of media stations, and others, have pledged their continuous partnership and support to Governor Umo Eno-led administration.
The practitioners, who made the pledge, Friday, December 20, when the State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, hosted them to an end of the year thank you meeting, averred that the Governor Eno-led administration has been media-friendly, noting that there has been a significant improvement in the synergy between the government and the media community.
In his remarks, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Amos Etuk, commended the Governor for sustaining the tradition of briefing the media regularly, which he noted has strengthened the bond between the administration and media practitioners in the state.
Comrade Amos further disclosed that media practitioners in Akwa Ibom particularly journalists fare much better than their counterparts in many other states because of the continuous support they have enjoyed from the government, adding that the practitioners will continue to reciprocate the governor’s gesture.
The NUJ chairman, while commending Comrade Ememobong for maintaining a cordial relationship with the media, said, “We do not take the relationship you have built with us for granted, and we will continue to reciprocate this gesture in building our state. You have been a father, brother, and supporter. The synergy we have across all sectors of the media in the state is as a result of the relationship you have built from the scratch.”
On his part, the chancellor of Conference of Online Publishers in Akwa Ibom State (COOPA), Mr Utitofon Morgan, opined that Governor Eno has made it easier for those propagating the activities of the government due to his excellent performance, adding that the social media community in the state has been hugely impacted by the administration’s media-friendly dispositions.
“Few years ago, when you were elected as State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, that was when our people started realizing that there is money in digital marketing and as at today, numerous people have grown into independence,” Mr. Morgan said while thanking Comrade Ememobong for his continuous support to the media community.
Speaking on behalf of OAPs, Mr Dianaime Uko of Inspiration FM, noted that although they are not employees of the government, they have enjoyed the support and collaboration of the government, promising “we do not work for the government, but we will always work together for the interest of the state.”
In his remarks, the chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel of NUJ, Mr Bassey Ikara, commended Governor Eno for running a media-friendly administration which is opened to both criticism and commendation, noting that as journalists with national dailies, they will use their platforms to project the state. He said, “We pledge our support and cooperation to the state government and the Ministry of Information.”
Mr. Ephraim Ikpe, the publisher of The Waves Newspaper, expressed the gratitude of newspaper publishers in the state to Comrade Ememobong for being inclusive and accommodating, noting that the Information Commissioner’s gesture has attracted immeasurable goodwill to Governor Eno’s administration.
Responding on behalf of heads of media stations, Mr. Silas Ufot of Inspiration FM and Pastor Idy James of Uniuyo FM, thanked Comrade Ememobong for serving as a reliable bridge between the government and media practitioners, which they noted was responsible for the good reportage that the administration has enjoyed, assuring that they will continue to support the government to achieve more for the state.
In his remarks, the Information Commissioner noted that the end of the year meeting, which had become an annual gathering since his assumption of office, was to enable him express his deep gratitude to the media community for the support given to the government throughout the year, assuring that Governor Eno is committed to sustaining the good relationship with the media.
“Ingratitude is not just when we do not see what others do but the inability to express it. I must admit that you have been very fair to the Akwa Ibom State Government. I am grateful for your decision to support the government of the day and my office. Furthermore, I am grateful for the times we had differences, and the times we did not have and even for the times we did not talk at all. We have taken conscious effort to ensure that our relationship has worked.
“We had an excellent relationship in 2024, and we hope that in 2025, the media will have patriotic cooperation and responsible journalism. If we recall, the Rwanda genocide was media instigated and the media personnel were not spared in the genocide. In breaking the news, let us not break the state”, he said.
While urging media practitioners to ensure they always verify their information before publishing to avoid misinformation, Comrade Ememobong announced his plans to organize a training for practitioners early next year.
High point of the end of the year/thank you meeting was the donation of plots of land by the Commissioner to various media groups.
