The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has advised media professionals in the State to engage more in investigative journalism rather than relying on armchair journalism.
To this end, the Deputy Governor urged the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to purge itself of quacks who parade themselves as professional Journalists.
He said this would enable journalism to reclaim its lost glory and rightful place in society as the fourth estate of the realm.
Speaking on Friday while receiving members of the NUJ Bayelsa State Council at his office in Government House, Yenagoa, Ewhrudjakpo recalled the historical roles played by media veterans such as Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, and Ernest Ikoli.
He noted that the journalism profession shares a similar fate with the legal profession, both of which are plagued by quacks and a lack of ethical discipline among practitioners.
Lamenting that investigative journalism had virtually disappeared from the Nigerian media landscape due to the prevalence of the “brown envelope” syndrome, he called for thorough internal reforms to restore the integrity of journalism in the country.
He expressed his admiration for both the media and legal professions, describing them as noble and essential to society.
However, he regretted that some practitioners in both fields have undermined their ethics with impunity, contributing to corruption.
Ewhrudjakpo congratulated the newly elected State executive council of the NUJ and commended Journalists for their effective reportage of activities in the State.
He urged them to do more in upholding journalistic ethics.
Regarding the proposed NUJ Bayelsa Media Summit, the Deputy Governor assured the union of the State government’s participation and support for the event.
“Today, investigative journalism appears to have almost waned and disappeared. We hardly see the brand of journalism for which Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Dele Giwa, Ernest Ikoli, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and others were celebrated. So, we need to do a lot of house cleaning.
“Nigeria would not be where it is today if the majority of media and legal practitioners upheld the tenets of their professions while performing their constitutional duties.
“Let me use this opportunity to talk about a few issues concerning journalism and the legal profession in this country—where we are and where we need to be—because I love these two professions.
“But unfortunately, both fields are now facing the same challenges. The level of quackery and the ‘anything-goes’ attitude is very high in journalism and the legal profession.
“No thanks to the brown envelopes you people collect, and no thanks also to the night movements of Lawyers.
“On behalf of the State government, I want to congratulate you on your successful election. I want you to know that all you went through during the election period constitutes a great lesson for you to learn from.”
Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Tonye Yemoleigha, commended the State government for its notable strides in infrastructure, human capital development, and fostering a healthy working relationship with the NUJ.
Yemoleigha said that the NUJ Bayelsa Media Summit would redefine the Bayelsa brand among other States and called on the government to provide the necessary support for the program’s success.
“We commend the robust relationship between the State government and the media in Bayelsa State. We want to use this opportunity to express our gratitude for that.
“We also commend the government for the infrastructural development in the state, which has extended to the grassroots. It means a lot to the people of Bayelsa State.
“All of these achievements show that the government is looking at the future of Bayelsa State. Our media is also evolving, and we want to use the summit to showcase the state,” he said.
