A chieftain of the United
Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, has called on journalists
to desist from promoting corrupt politicians.
Okonkwo
said on Thursday during the inauguration of the Nigeria
Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel new secretariat in
Enugu.
In a
speech entitled “The Power of the Media Journalism, is Not for Public
Relations’’, Okonkwo said that journalists must differentiate between
journalism and public relations.
Obviously,
the problem the press (journalists) is having with the society and the
politicians stem from when the journalist abandons his job description and
assumes that of a public relations practitioner,’’ he said. According
to him, a journalist is responsible for gathering and selecting information in
order to educate the public.
This
news is not meant to sway the public opinion to a certain direction.
Because
of this, journalists write for a mass audience and publish their work through
only one medium depending on where they work, he said.
The UPP
chieftain said that the job of journalists had now been expanded to fight
corruption in the political parties, adding that the parties are the foundation
of corruption in Nigeria’s leadership.
I
enjoin the journalist to take a look at our electoral laws and the Nigerian
Constitution to challenge our party managers for them to shun corruption and
pursue excellence.
I
charge the press (journalists) to educate the citizens to defend democracy and
reject corrupt tendencies, he said.
Earlier,
the Chairman NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Enugu, Mr Petrus Obi, commended the
support of the state government towards the operations of the journalists in
the state.
Obi
said that his executive had achieved its campaign promises of renting an
office, buying a bus and up-lifting the welfare of members of the chapel in
general.
The
chapel honoured Prince Lawrence Eze, an industrialist from Mburubu community in
Nkanu East Local Government Area for his philanthropic gestures and community
development efforts.
Responding
after receiving the Award of Excellence for Community Service, Eze urged
journalists to continue to hold leaders accountable for the growth, development
and welfare of the people.
As the
chairman of the chapel had kept his election promises; so likewise each
politician must strive to keep their promises and bond with the people, he said.
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