From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Former Nigeria Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has charged the media to protect democracy and focus on the welfare of ordinary people.
Maku gave this charge when he and led a team from Timbuktoo Media Solutions to Benue State to launched a project immersion tour to assess and document the progress made by the state Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia’s administration in the past two years.
The former Minister for Information, who briefed newsmen in Makurdi in company of Dr Mike Omeri, a former DG of National Orientation Agency, to mark the beginning of the tour, further urged the media to always highlight development projects in Benue State under the Alia-led administration and across the country to encourage the leaders.
Mr Maku commended the media for their role in promoting development in the country, stressing that the media must protect democracy and focus on the welfare of ordinary people of the country.
He said the aim of the tour is to encourage governors to prioritize development projects and report on the progress made in various states especially on Governor Alia’s two years of Impact in Benue state.
Maku noted the role of the media in highlighting development stories saying such would help to motivate rural communities and promote national development.
He said with the raging insecurity in the country, journalist concentrate on reporting security issues and forget to projects progress made so far to develop the states or country.
The former deputy governor of Nasarawa state said what he is out to do is similar to what he did as minister in 2013, maintaining that it is about development and not politics.
“The tour will feature a visit to various project sites, where the team will assess the quality of work and report on the progress made.
“This is to showcase progress made so far by Governor Hyacinth Alia in the state within the past two years of his administration,” he said
Earlier, Mike Omeri, a former Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), who is part of the team, noted that the exercise is not about “politics” but good governance and aims to bring out development made so far by the governor.
Omeri who is also former commissioner for information in Nasarawa state solicited for maximum support from stakeholders during the tour.