Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has identified media as an integral part of democracy.
Governor Abdulrazaq stated this at the Grand Finale of 2024 Press Week of Kwara Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held at Press Centre, Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin
The Governor who spoke through his Senior Adviser and Counselor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, emphasized the importance of media in promoting good governance in the society.
At the event, the Governor reminisced about the modest achievements of his administration since assumption of office, particularly in the areas of critical infrastructure and staff welfare.
In his lecture, a Don, Dr Kayode Mustapha Lambe, tasked Journalists to deploy relevant arsenal in their possession toward combating the scourge of quackery in the profession.
Dr Lambe, who is of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, delivered a paper titled “Quackery in Nigeria Media Industry: Implications on Credible Journalism Practice”.
He described quackery in the profession as injurious to effective service delivery, urging the hierarchy of NUJ to wage war against quacks tarnishing the image of the profession.
He condemned the increasing wave misinformation and disinformation on social media and advocated the need to curb the ugly trend.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, said the ongoing reform in the council is not to witch-hunt anyone but to put the union on a sound footing.
Ahmed applauded Governor AbdulRazaq for his support to the council and eulogized those who contributed to the success of this year’s Press Week.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Nigeria League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) in the state, Alhaji Mohammad Tunde Akanbi, noted that the annual event was aimed at celebrating members of the Union.
Some personalities were bestowed with meritorious awards including the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, who bagged Kwara NUJ Image Maker of the Year.
Similarly, members of Kwara State Council were also recognized for their commitment and resilience in their journalistic assignments.
They included Ibrahim Alege of TVC (Best TV Reporter of the Year), Babatunde Jimba of Kwara Television (Best TV Producer of the Year) and Abeeb Ahmed Oredunni of the state Ministry of Communications, who emerged as Press Secretary of the Year among others.
