Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has ordered the immediate release of funds for the ongoing building of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta state council Secretariat.
Okowa, who gave the directive during an interactive session with Journalists on Wedneday assured that his administration was open to all practising Journalists in the state for effective delivery, urging them to verify their facts before publishing.
While expresing disappointment at the delay in the release of funds to the Delta state council of the NUJ for the project, the governor said that the state government had vowed to ensure the successful completion of the NUJ Secretariat.
The interactive session which was the first the Governor was having with the media, took place in Asaba and lasted for more than two hours with journalists asking questions on different issues, including national issues after Governor Okowa took time to enumerate activities of his administration since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.
According to the Governor, “I cannot do without the press, through the press, our people would be informed and educated about our activities; Journalists are free to reach me directly, through the Commissioner for Information or the Chief Press Secretary because, we are running a transparent government based on trust.”
On allegation that some of his Commissioners were not press-friendly, the Governor reiterated, “that cannot be; we are all public servants and as politicians too, they are all willing and ready to talk with the press but, it is important that when you reach them on the phone, properly identify yourself and the medium you are working for because, these days people are conscious of so many things.”
He described journalists as partners in progress in achieving the S.M.A.R.T. agenda of his administration, assuring that he will remain transparent and accountable to the people.
The Governor also, debunked claims that his administration was working to phase out Keke (tricycle) operations in the state, noting that due to security reasons, restrictions have been imposed on the use of the Keke as means of transportation in certain towns and cities in the state within specified period of the night.
“We don’t have plans to phase out Keke, ours is to concentrate on the construction of roads; Keke is still quite useful, but, the only thing that we are saying is that in some localities, we restrict their movements at nights because, we have discovered that they were being used for nefarious activities,” he elaborated.
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