2023 Elections: Ex-FCT Minister Charges Journalists on Fair, Professional Reportage
By: Wisdom Acka
Bauchi State Governor and former FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has called on members of the media to be fair and stick to professional ethics in their reportage during the 2023 General Elections.
Mohammed, who spoke in Bauchi on Friday, during the Annual Media Retreat organised by the FCT Minister’s Press Corps, noted that the media was a critical tool that must be used positively for societal good, but not for destructive purposes.
The Governor stressed that the role of the media was necessary for the sustainance of the country’s nascent democracy and political stability.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Comrade Muktar Mohammed Gidado, the Governor disclosed that Media Practitioners in Bauchi State have enjoyed unalloyed support from the state government; adding that such has given them the needed advantage to operate seamlessly.
He said: “And as you are getting set to cover the 2023 General Elections, you must ensure that the principles of fairness, accuracy and balance in the coverage of political campaigns and activities are observed”.
He added, “You must also eschew mischief and inflammatory reports and stories. You should also shun bias reporting of events and remain steadfast in the discharge of your duties”.
The Governor said that the present administration in Bauchi State has , beside building a cordial relationship with the media, also made giant strides in community development.
According to him, with the resources available to the state, critical projects have been successfully executed in key sectors of the economy.
“We have executed projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the generality of the people of the State,” Mohammed reiterated.
“We have constructed network of roads in both urban and rural areas to facilitate socio-economic activities across the State,” he emphasized.
The Governor restated that schools and health facilities have been constructed/renovated and provided with the necessary equipment and furniture items, water supply schemes in the State capital and Local Government Headquarters have been executed.
His words: “We have also provided fertilizer and other agricultural inputs and machineries to our teeming farmers. The State Secretariat and Secretariats of all the 20 Local Governments have been totally renovated to provide conducive working environment for our workers”.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Press Corps Chairman, Hudu Yakubu also called on media practitioners to beam their searchlights on activities of all levels of government, especially the local governments.
Yakubu noted: “Every tier of government has a responsibility of protecting and improving the lives of citizens and in this case, we are focusing on the third tier of government, which is the local government, called Area Councils in the FCT”.
The Chairman, who noted that the Council Chairmen must be up and doing, collaborate with security agencies in ensuring security.
Yakubu, who explained that the annual retreat was an avenue for deliberating and finding solutions to issues affecting the FCT, encouraged residents at the Councils to always demand effective service delivery and accountability from their respective Council Chairman.
