The Delta North People’s Democratic Party senatorial candidate, Prince Ned Nwoko, has urged the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to be critical to governance and perform their surveillance function in the society objectively.
The senatorial candidate made the call during a meeting with members of the NUJ in Delta state under “The Platform with Ned Nwoko” at the NUJ Press Centre, Asaba, on Tuesday, 7 February, 2023.
Nwoko, also a patron of the union, zone F, noted the importance of journalism as the fourth estate of the realm. He stated that, it is the duty of the journalists to unearth and follow up issues that are of public concern, without expecting any form of reward.
“As the fourth estate of the realm, journalists are very important. You should be the conscience of the society by carrying out your watchdog obligations objectively.
“In advanced societies, quite often, you see and hear about the problems of the society through the prism of journalism. It is the duty of the journalists to unearth and report issues of public concern without expecting any form of rewards. With their objective reports, they help in making the society a better place.
“In Nigeria, the story is a bit different. Some journalists are making a mockery of the profession by reporting false and slanted information, reporting opinions rather than facts, because of financial gains or protection of interest.
“There should be a correlation between journalism and good governance. But, because of the reward and gratification syndrome prevalent among Nigerian journalists, government officials do as it pleases them,” Nwoko said.
Earlier, while explaining the need for a cohesive government team and implications of mismatching votes, Nwoko likened the government team to a football team, with every player putting their individual efforts to achieve set goals.
He reiterated the importance of having a complete team to be able to function effectively as a senator.
He said, “Most likely, majority of you will say they support me, if asked. But supporting me without supporting the complete team is not enough. There is no point sending me to Abuja to be in the minority.
“As a representative, being in the opposition makes it difficult for you to be effective. No matter how determined I am to perform effectively, being in the opposition will dampen my efforts. The government at the centre may likely not approve my plans because, they are not part of theirs. This is why you must be logical with your voting structure. Do not mismatch votes. If you are supporting me, then you have to support other PDP candidates. That is the only way your support will be meaningful to me.”
While fielding questions, Nwoko noted that, he is not bothered about the Peter Obi frenzy, because he is certain that the Labour Party presidential candidate will not win the 2023 presidential election. He pointed out that Obi does not stand a chance in the North, and that he will not win any state in the South-East either, because of the Eastern Security Network and the Indigenous People of Biafra, that are seeking referendum to have their own independent country rather than one Nigeria.
The senatorial candidate, however, said that he is only concerned about the little effect the Labour Party votes will have on PDP votes.
He posited that anybody who votes Labour Party has inadvertently voted for APC “because, naturally, all Labour Party votes would have been PDP’s.”
He explained that, any divide in PDP votes may likely land APC the opportunity to win.
Responding to questions on his plans to improve revenue in Delta state, aside from the oil sector, the well travelled legal-consultant-cum-politician, said that, he is looking forward to making Delta North a tourist attraction.
He noted that, the senatorial district is blessed with beautiful vegetation and good geographical location that can be turned into one of the best tourist destinations in Africa.
He also revealed his plans on improving large scale farming in Anioma, as a means to generate more revenues for the state.
