By Johnson Ebigide
A 3-day media workshop for journalists in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria has kicked off at the Institute For Public Policy Academy, Onicha Ugbo, in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State with a call on journalists to apply acquired practical media knowledge in assessing the performances of those in governance.
Speaking during the brief opening ceremony at the occasion, Prof. Sylvester Monye, founder of the institute and Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, said that journalists lacked the parameters for proper assessment of those in government, adding that there was the urgent need to develop practical knowledge of journalists in such a way that would enhance accurate reportages in the media.
He added that it was only those that had the requisite knowledge that could impact positively on the society, saying that journalists as watchdogs of the society should be trained continuously to enhance their capacity in reporting happenings in the country and beyond.
Prof. Monye thanked the organisers of the worship, Folio Media, Publishers of the Daily Times Newspapers, the sponsors, Dangote Group, the Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Ltd., for the choice of the venue at the institute in Onicha Ugbo, adding that it was quite timely, just as he urged the participants to take the training, which he said was well packaged, seriously towards building their capacity for the onerous tasks before them as journalists in the country.
The Chairman, Folio Group, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, maintained that the group decided to kick start the training with the South-South geopolitical zone because of the peculiarity and key position of the zone in the development of the country, adding that there was the urgent need to upgrade the knowledge of journalists to meet the trending technological needs of modern Journalism.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, thanked the organisers and sponsors of the workshop and urged participants to take something home from participating in the training.
The training was well attended with over 300 journalists from various media outfits in the zone.