By Ohanele Casca
The Imo state Commissioner for Information, Mr Chinedu Offor has informed Imolites that the Community Government Council elections will hold in all the communities in Imo on the 15th of December, 2012 to elect the Town Union Leaders, Youth leaders, women leaders and CLOs.
The Commissioner made this known while briefing journalist at the NUJ Press Centre last Friday. He noted tat the election will be on no party basis using option A4 style of voting. He called on journalists to give the election which is of paramount important to Okorocha’s government, a wide publicity.
Mr Chinedu Ofor assured the Imo people that the government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha will never intimidate or harass any Journalist in the state.
According to him, “No Journalist has been molested by this administration and that will not happen. But some Journalists have taken advantage of the liberal nature of the government to always misrepresent facts and dish out fiction”.
The commission who is also a Journalist called on Journalists to show the light for the society to follow. He regretted that some practitioners of the noble profession of the pen, have veered away from the ethic of the trade and turned to hatchet men and spokesperson to some interest groups without recourse to conscience. He charged the NUJ to do something to ensure that standards are maintained.
In reaction, the Journalists also noted that some government officials have neglected their duties and find it difficult to give information to the media this, the Journalist noted was responsible for some stories that embarrass government. They also advice government and their officials to know the difference between opinion and the position of the media, stressing that without the Journalists, the citizens will remain in darkness about the happenings in and outside the state. Journalists also asked the commissioner some clarification on some government programs and policies. They complained of government plan of giving the same kind of school uniforms to all secondary schools in the state, stressing that it will cause confusion in the area of discipline, and accountability of the conduct of students by different school principals. The commissioner informed that the uniforms are part of the free education policy but shifted the matter of the uniformity of the uniforms to the Commissioner for Education for further clarification.
He also informed that IBC will soon go international as they are already collaborating with Voice of America (VOA). On Imo Newspaper, the Commissioner said that government is of the opinion that some staff of the agency are tampering with the facilities. He agreed that the statesman is in a very wrong shape but said that there is light for the publishing house in the turned.
On roads, the commissioner said that Federal Government is constituting a hindrance to rehabilitating Akwakuma road at the fly over point because the road is a federal government road.
The NUJ Chairman, Sir Innocent Igwe who noted that the interaction with the commissioner is very wonderful stated that NUJ as a professional body will not condone those who are not following the ethics of the media profession. He advice that there is need for regular media interaction between public office holders and Journalists. The NUJ Chairman used the opportunity to charge public office holders to eschew corruption and work for the people with patriotism. He noted that there is too much corruption in the society and that Journalists will not fold their hand and watch people loot and misappropriates public funds. He concluded that good governance begets good Journalism.
