CEMESO Trains Media Professionals On Inclusive Reportage Of Governorship Election

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By Olusegun Oyenibi

Relevant Stakeholders in the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State have been called upon to give Media Professionals maximum support in the discharge of thier official duties.

The Executive Director, Center for Media and Society, CEMESO, Doctor Akin Akingbulu made the call in a one day media engagement towards Kogi Governorship election in Lokoja.

Doctor Akingbulu said the call became imperative in view of the unique roles media Professionals have to play in the electoral process especially as the Gubernatorial election draws near.

According to him, the expectations of the electorates is that the media will provide adequate Voter education to enable them make informed choices on the election day.

Earlier the programme manager, CEMESO, Mr. Timothy Bamidele said the media engagement was organised to empower Media Professionals and Civil Society Organisations to effectively discharge thier duties as the Kogi State Gubernatorial election approaches.

Mr Bamidele said the training was aimed at strengthening the capacity of journalists to embark on aggressive and continuous Voter education.

He stressed the need to prioritise the participation of women and people living with disabilities, PWDs, in the electoral process through sensitisation using thier various platforms.

Speaking, the Facilitator of the programme, Mr Adeku Adava urged journalists to use the knowledge gained at the occasion to impact positively on the electorates to check Voter apathy.

Mr Adava while acknowledging the inherent greatness of the State stressed the need for journalists to play thier roles in the electoral process to achieve set goals.

Contributing to the media engagement via zoom, Kaneng Rwang Pan and Mr. Samson Itodo of YIAGA Africa urged media Professionals to engage both the political and non political actors in sensitisation of thier roles in the electoral process.

On his part, a one time Acting Director General of Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, Professor Armstrong Idachaba advocates constant engagement of relevant stakeholders in the electoral process.

In his contribution, the Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, CHRCR, Idris Miliki emphasized the need for adequate deployment of security personnel to identified flash points.

In his remark, State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhaji Adeiza Momohjimoh described the training as timely in view of the forthcoming gubernatorial polls in Kogi State and expressed the readiness of Media Professionals to use the knowledge gained to improve on the coverage of the election

Twenty-Five journalists from Radio Nigeria, Prime FM Lokoja, Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Grace FM, Jatto FM, AIT, Channels Television and One Civil Society Organisation attended the media engagement.

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