Don’t mobilize your people against government, Utuama tells ACNPN

Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos AgbeUtuama has advised publishers of Community newspapers not to mobilize theirpeople against government.

Prof. Utuama gave the advice recently at Orchid Hotels, Asabain Delta State during the 2011 Nationaldelegates’ conference of ACNPN while delivering a lecture titled, “Place ofCommunity Newspapers in A Democratic Institution”.

The Delta State Deputy governor who traced the perceivedpolitical ordeals of Urhobo nation to their support of an opposition party inthe first republic, tasked publishers of Community newspapers to mobilizepeople of their community “to have access to government programmes”. Accordingto him, early newspapers in Nigeriaenlightened the people against colonialism, stressing that “newspapers shouldbe able to bring justice, development and freedom to its community”. Prof.Utuama promised that the state government will revisit the issue of appointing SpecialAssistant to the state governor to take care of issues affecting Publishers ofCommunity Newspapers.

The Delta State Commissioner forInformation, Barr. Chike Ogeah in his remark explained that he decided toengage publishers of community newspapers in the state constructively becauseof the importance the state government attaches to community newspaper.

In his welcome address, the Delta State Chairman of ACNPN,Prince Eromosere Usemuru Orhomonokpaye, expressed the resolve of members of hisassociation to partner “the state government in disseminating right informationto people at the grassroots”. According to him, if the amount of patronagebeing given to National media for two months alone is given to indigenouspublishers, “the pockets of opposition against it (i.e. the state government)would have reduced long ago”. He appealed to the state government to appointanother SA for Community Newspapers, noting that it “will help the body tocoordinate the activities of the community based tabloids”.

In a paper titled, “Community newspapers partnership withgovernment:  The way forward in ademocratic dispensation” a lecturer with International Institute of Journalism,Dimkpa Alikor canvassed for government incentives to be given to publishers ofcommunity newspapers via the ministry of Information. This he opined will guaranteea symbiotic relationship between government and proprietors of communitytabloids, thus resulting in all round growth and development in the country.

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