Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has challenged the media professionals in the country to assist educate and enlighten the public properly on the rationale behind the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.
He said that although the removal had inevitably imposed temporary hardship on the people which he said would soon fizzle out, added that the action was part of the economic policies initiated by the president to reposition the nation’s degenerating economy and place it on the part of recovery and growth.
Uzodinma gave the challenge on Wednesday when he met with the leadership of both the state correspondents’ chapel of the NUJ and those of the state chapter of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) at the government House, Owerri.
He said: “the removal was something which past governments could not do and although a temporary hardship now traits it, government has since come up with palliatives to cushion the effects and so it behoves on you as the fourth Estate of the Realm to use your profession and enlighten the public on the very good reasons behind the fuel subsidy removal, unfortunately, some people have unpatriotically chosen to play politics with the removal but please tell our people the obvious advantages that will accrue from it”.
The governor who also charged journalists to always abide by the ethics of their profession through accurate, objective, unbiased and factual reporting.
He indicated his determination to recover and to strengthen the state’s wobbling economy saying “my desire is to make Imo state the fastest growing economy East of the Niger.
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He commended the chairman of the correspondent chapel who is also the state correspondent of the Vanguard Newspapers – Chinonso Alozie for the number of visionary projects he had initiated and assured him of support.
The governor similarly hailed the NAWOJ Exco led by Dr. Dorothy Nnaji for their support to the state government and enjoined them to sustain the spirit.
Earlier in his address, Alozie had congratulated the governor on his second inauguration and the giant strides he had recorded especially on road construction and fight against insecurity in the state.
He explained that his Exco had fashioned a programme known as “Information and not disinformation project” to use the right information to correct the disinformation about the state.
Alozie who later presented a copy of the partnership letter of the “Information Not disinformation” Campaign to the governor added that the Chapel had resolved to inaugurate a programme christened “community interactive forum” to showcase the community projects of the governor.
While pleading for the governor’s assistance in the areas of vehicles, restoration of monthly stipends and regular involvement in his activities, Alozie pledged regular support of the chapel to him.
