REPORT DEVELOPMENTAL EFFORTS OF GOVT AT THE GRASSROOTS – Okowa’s Senior POLAD Charges Community Newspaper Publishers

Community newspaper publishers in the state have been told to be mindful of their role as watchdogs of the society at the grassroots level.

The Senior Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta state, Honourable Funkekeme Solomon, made the call on Thursday in Asaba when a delegation of the state chapter of Community Newspaper Publishers Association of Nigeria led by Comrade Jude Obiemenyego paid him a courtesy visit.

Honourable Solomon said as the first in the news coverage chain, community newspapers should serve as sources of community news to other media organisations, adding that their stories should reflect the developmental efforts of government at the grassroots.

He said the impact of government could only be well felt not just by reporting activities in the urban centres, but when happenings at the grassroots were made known to the populace through the community newspapers.

The Senior Political Adviser charged the publishers to build partnership to make them strong and mitigate extremity, adding that they should avoid factionalism and scale up their operations to be able to gain recognition and more attention.

Honourable Solomon promised that government would continue to recognize the publishers as critical stakeholders in the Delta project, and appealed to them to shun fake news and insist on investigative and developmental journalism in order to promote peace and unity  in the state.

Earlier, the state chairman of the association, Comrade Jude Obiemenyego, said the visit was to familiarize with the Senior Political Adviser and to seek partnership with the state government in moving the association and the state forward.