Omon-Julius Onabu
24 April 2008
Warri — Promotion of peace and development journalism has been identified as the best means of advancing the noble contribution of the profession to democracy and national transformation.
The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Oma Djebah, who made the assertion yesterday in Warri, therefore, urged the media in Nigeria , particularly journalists operating in the Niger-Delta, "to promote peace and development journalism instead of engaging in negative reporting of the crisis, violence and militancy." Djebah was delivering a guest lecture titled, "The Role of the Media in Niger-Delta Development", during a seminar to mark the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Warri Correspondents Chapel held at Wellington Hotel, Effurun-Warri.
He stressed the urgent need for the media "to strike a balance between ethical journalism and certain limitations" bearing in mind that negative reports "have far graver consequences and impact on peoples and governments".
The commissioner noted the tendency for media to promote war journalism should be discouraged in favour of strnghtening democracy and capacity building in furtherance of development. Also during the ceremony, UNIBEN's Protocol and Public Affairs Director, Mr. Eddy Akpomera, had advised the media in Nigeria to encourage sincere attitude among all stakeholders in the exploration, exploitation appropriation of the proceeds from oil in the Niger-Delta as well as dealing with oil thieves or so-called "illegal bunkerers". The multinational oil concerns should emphasize direct community partnerships and "collaborative networking rather than individual corporate efforts", which have not paid significantly in checking illegal oil bunkering in the Niger-Delta." Two-time commissioner in Delta State, Barrister Bolatsi Dudu (occasion's chairman) delved into the positive role of the Nigeria media in the country's development since pre-colonial times, urging for its sustenance especially at this crucial period in Nigeria's development. The challenges facing the Nigerian journalist, especially "in a Hostile and Suspicious Environment", were examined by Mr. Chido Okafor of the Nigerian Guardian, while Prof G.G. Dara, espoused on the role of the government and communities in the sustenance of peace in the Niger-Delta.
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