Barely some days to the official kick-off of political campaigns ahead of next year's general elections, Media Practitioners have been enjoined to bring their professionalism to bear to avoid causing outrage in the political sphere.
Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Chief Chooks Oko, made the call while receiving members of the Association of Ehugbo Media Practitioners in his Office in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
Chief Oko appreciated the Media for their selfless sacrifices which have held the Country together for ages but called for adherence to the principle of accuracy, balance and objectivity in their reportage especially going into the general elections to avoid overheating the political space.
"We are in a very precarious situation, the political times are here, a time when if we are not careful we will light up the whole place and it will start burning, it is your duty as Media Practitioners to ensure that this does not happen.
"Our role has been thrust upon us by nature because if you decide to be a Journalist, you have decided to tell the people what is going on in the very best way, you have decided to mould their opinions by the kind of things you tell them and you have decided to shape their destiny by the kind of things you allow them access to, I enjoin all of us as Practitioners to ensure we adhere to the best practices.
"If you hear something, don't get lazy, find out what is happening on the other side, because if you just report one side, the whole place will start burning.
"I beg of you, don't allow anybody to use you, this is the period when a lot of irresistible cash gets thrown around, politicians prepare for this period, in a few days, it will be the official kick-off of campaigns and the crazy market will open, if you are not focused as a Journalist, you will get derailed.
"I enjoin you to do that with your conscience, tell yourself that you belong to a Profession, where members always stand on their feet, proclaiming the truth for everybody, that is the only way we can be proud of the name Journalist, otherwise, if we allow the tide to sink us, we will remain the infamous people who had the chance of helping the society but had to derail it."
He appealed to the Journalists to endeavour to place the Journalism profession and the unity of the Nation above themselves by reporting facts and not speculations.
The Special Assistant also encouraged the Media to adequately report the monumental transformation of Ebonyi State by Governor David Nweze Umahi to enable the world to appreciate his modest efforts within seven years in office.
"Any appreciative person will always appreciate what the Governor has done, if you look at the quality of projects, sometimes you begin to wonder, in a poor State like Ebonyi, our revenue from the Federal Government is not high, but as of today, even without being completed, the runway of our Airport is the longest in the whole of West Africa, which means no kind of Aircraft can not land on that tarmac when it is completed, if you go to Iyer Edda flyover, you will see Engineering at work.
He thanked the Association for coming to identify with him in his new Office and pledged to carry them along in the scheme of things.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Association of Ehugbo Media Practitioners, Comrade Emmanuel Irem said the Association was in the Special Assistant's office to congratulate him and to assure him that they were in solidarity with him in his latest appointment.
In their remarks, the former Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ebonyi State Council, Mrs Veronica Osim, the Acting General Manager of Ebonyi State Newspapers and Publishing Corporation, Chief Dom Acute and Ebonyi State Correspondent of New Telegraph Newspaper, Comrade Uchenna Inya, thanked the Governor for placing one of their in-charge of Media and expressed hope that he would deliver on his mandate having started on the right footing.
