Uzodimma Begs Editors to Support Tinubu’s Government

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has called on members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his quest to make Nigeria a better place for all.

The governor made the call yesterday in his remarks while flagging off the Nigerian Guild of Editors National Biennial Convention 2023 in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The Convention effectively brought to an end the tenure of the Mustapha Isa-led NGE executive to usher in a new one.

Governor Uzodimma reminded the editors that they were partners in progress with the government, hence, they must professionally play their constitutional role in the interest of the society.

The governor commended Mr. Isa-led executive and members of the Guild for their efforts so far in ensuring that the good stories about Nigeria are brought to public domain without compromising their professional ethics, reminding them, however, that the country is making steady progress in her democratic journey since the return of democracy in 1999 despite obvious hiccups.

He also lauded the choice of the theme for the Convention: ‘Post 2023 election: Promoting Professionalism for Enhancement of Democracy and Good Governance’.

He said: “Your theme for this conference, ‘Post- 2023 Election: Promoting Professionalism For Enhancement Of Democracy And Good Governance’ is rather apt given the divergent opinions that trailed the conduct of the recently concluded general elections, and how the media reported the fall outs. As the saying goes, opinions are free, but facts remain sacred. Without preempting the guest lecturer in his interrogation of the topic, let me state that I am of the opinion that the traditional media discharged their duties creditably during the 2023 elections.

“I am impressed that you have chosen this path of self examination, which I consider germane in our collective bid to enhance good governance and strengthen our democracy. The last time you were here, I harped on the need for journalists to embrace developmental journalism in our quest to sustain and strengthen our democracy. While the media have the responsibility of holding public officers to account, they should, in addition, encourage the government through constructive criticism and well-intentioned suggestions on how things could be done differently to achieve better results. The ultimate goal should be the development and unity of our country and nothing else.

“It is a thing of interest that even among politicians could be found many media practitioners and even members of the clergy. It is no gainsaying that the political class, the clergy and the media are quite instrumental in determining what happens in most countries, including Nigeria. Therefore, it is in the interest of all of us because we are involved, to work for the sustainability of our democracy and our country. That means we must all work in synergy for our collective survival.”

He welcomed the editors to Imo State, particularly for their choice of Owerri for the Convention and thanked the NGE president profoundly for his kind words and observations about his person and the state government.

“I also welcome the guest lecturer, Dr. Chido Nwakanma of the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. On behalf of the government and good people of Imo State, I wish to express our gratitude to members of this august body for finding Imo State suitable to host you twice in less than one year – just some  months after your Annual Conference which held last year. It is indeed an honour which we do not take for granted,” the governor said.

Governor Uzodimma’s remarks continued: “As experienced media practitioners, I believe you are familiar with the hypodermic theory which posits that “information is shot into the receivers’ mind and readily accepted”. This theory was largely influenced by the postulations of an American Writer, Reporter and Political Commentator, Walter Lippmann, who noted in the 1920s that citizens have limited personal experience with government and the world, therefore the media, through their stories, place ideas in their minds, and these ideas become part of their frame of reference and, consequently, affect their decisions.

“These postulations and theories appear very apt in the present day Nigeria. We have a huge, complex, and relatively naïve populace who “have limited personal experience with government and the world”. Therefore, whatever stories and ideas that are filed by the media become their reference point for decision – making. This position sits well with the theory that the media “shoots” information into the mind of citizens and they readily accept and act on such information.

“This is why media practitioners must be ever conscious of what flows from their pens, because what it “shoots” into the minds of the citizenry, can make or break both our democracy and our country. After all, it is not for fun that a school of thought holds it to be true, to date, that “the pen is mightier than the sword”. The president of the Guild said in his address that you have come to use your own election to teach politicians how to conduct peaceful elections. Let me first of all congratulate the president for serving his profession and his nation faithfully and passionately. I want to also commend him for electing to serve for only one tenure, although the constitution of the Guild allows him to seek a re-election to enable him to serve for a second term. This is indeed very noble of you.

“However, with all due respect, I do not think that conducting an election among a few hundreds of Guild members can be compared to the general elections in our county. The complexities of size, population and logistics far outweigh your modest election which will be conducted in one room. And of course, the stakes are far higher than the stakes in your Guild elections. I remember someone saying that conducting an election in Nigeria is like running an election in the entire West African coast. This may seem like an exaggeration, but it is true in a way, and that is why INEC appears to perform better in staggered elections.

“As for our politicians, we are products of the Nigerian society. And as I already noted, some of the members of the fourth estate are also active and prominent members of the Nigerian political class. The truth is that we can hardly rise above our environment, and this applies to both journalists and editors. But that is not to say that we are not improving or that there is no need for improvement. As a matter of fact, our democracy is a work in progress. I believe that in the last 24 years, we have not only performed creditably, we have surpassed the expectations of many critics and pessimists. The transformative ingredients of our democracy are being refined daily. For example, we have achieved the peaceful transfer of power at the centre on at least four different occasions. We shall surely get there.”