Patrick Odey
3 November 2009
Lafia — Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa State has tasked journalists to begin to see themselves as having a critical role to play in the development and sustenance of the country's democracy. To this end, he said objective and balanced reportage of events was the only way for achievement of these.
He promised to provide the environment for journalists in the state to carry out their functions without hindrance, fear or favour.
But he said constructive criticism should be embraced rather than what he described as "destructive criticism", saying the latter has over time been found to be retrogressive and as such does not give room for rapid political and socio-economic growth of any society.
The governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Addra when the new leadership of the state Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its chairman, Mallam Abdullahi Shuaibu paid him a courtesy visit at Government House Lafia, hinted that it was in recognition of the important role journalists play in the society that he established a befitting press centre at Government House, saying the centre would soon be commissioned for smooth take up of their work.
While charging newsmen in the state to begin to embrace developmental journalism, the governor said there were a lot of government activities for reporters in the state especially members of the Correspondents' Chapel to focus on, so that the people in the outside world can be abreast with government's developmental strides.
Noting that his 13-point developmental agenda was meant to give the people of the state a new lease of life, the governor assured that all would be done within the state's limited resources to achieve all the areas already mapped out for development in the state.
Earlier, Mallam Shuaibu said that the courtesy call was meant to introduce members of his new executive to the governor just as he said it was an avenue for government to high-light its programmes and achievements to the press.
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