SSA To Oborevwori On Community Newspapers Urges Publishers To Support Delta M.O.R.E Agenda

By Young Erhiurhoro

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Delta State Governor on Community Newspapers, Hon. Prince Eromosere Joseph Orhomonokpaye has called on community newspapers publishers to support the Delta state government by publishing the policies and programmes of the MORE agenda of the Governor Oborevwori administration to the grassroots and the rural dwellers across the state.

The SSA made this appeal at Hotel Benizia, Asaba during a two-day community media seminar/workshop training organized for community newspapers publishers across the state by the office of the SSA through the approval of the state governor on the theme, “The Impact of Adequate Reporting of the M.O.R.E. Agenda to the Grassroots.”

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Addressing the publishers and other guests on the first day of the workshop, Hon. Orhomonokpaye drew the attention of the community newspapers publishers to the importance of grassroots reportage and how to make government information, policies and programmes accessible to the grassroots and rural dwellers.

Hear him: “The office of the SSA to the Delta state governor put this workshop together through the approval of the governor for community newspapers publishers in the state to carry them along in the process of governance and how they can equally be of support through their media platforms by constantly publishing government information, policies and programmes and make them available to the grassroots and rural people.”

“The importance of grassroots reportage to promote government and the MORE agenda of our governor in this case, can’t be over-emphasized. This is why I’m passionately calling on all the community newspapers publishers to be supportive to the state government,” he added.

Delivering the first lecture after so many guests and dignitaries had presented their goodwill messages, the guest lecturer, Prof. Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, the Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Delta state, spoke extensively on the theme of the workshop and explained that, “a community does not necessarily mean a group of rural dwellers or villagers as so many people think,” saying that “it could be a group of any professionals in rural or urban areas.”

He continued: “That’s why, we have a community of journalists, community of doctors, community of farmers, community of teachers and many more. While grassroots mean those at the receiving end. This could mean our communities and those in the rural areas. The availability and accessibility of your news and reports to the grassroots is the only way to inform the rural dwellers about the policies and programmes of the MORE agenda of the Delta state governor.”

Prof. Ufuophu-Biri however concluded his lecture by advising the community newspapers publishers to make use of the social media platforms and the internet especially in this modern age when technology has made everybody accessible to the internet through iphones and computers.

Speaking on the second lecture titled, “The Role of Community Newspapers in Nigeria”, Mr. Pius Mordi, hampered on how publishers could use their newspapers to market themselves, government and communities through the use of the social media platforms and the internet effectively.

According to Mr. Mordi, with the use of the iphone, community newspaper publishers could achieve their goals and objectives of grassroots reportage.

He however concluded his lecture by calling on publishers to be proactive, constructive and fair in their reportage.

The workshop ended with an interactive section where so many of the participants and invited guests aired their views, asked questions and shared personal experiences in the journalism job.

In his closing remarks, the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, assured the community newspapers publishers of government support to carry on their job effectively by creating similar initiatives and events to continuously bring them together from time to time.