The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, Barr.Emmanuel Enoidem has charged Journalists in Akwa Ibom State to use their pen to promote and build the Akwa Ibom brand.
Barr. Enoidem who was represented by the Chairman of Etim Ekpo Local Government, Mr.Udeme Uduo, at the 2019 press week, held at the NUJ press centre in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, said, “It gladdens my heart to stand here, to address the men of the fourth estate of the realm, a major institution of social engineering and change. I have in different over the years enjoyed the privilege of being part and parcel of the activities of the Union, dating back to my days as a Local Government Chairman of Etim Ekpo Local Govt Council, between 1997/98 and of course as a Commissioner in the State. Then of course now in my current national responsibility. I must, once again, express my sincere appreciation for the support I have enjoyed from the leadership and members of the Union, who have rather formed a synergy with me, on the progress of the Akwa Ibom project, and wish to enjoin them, to continue with this patriotic zeal in extending their support to the present leadership in the State under Governor Udom Emmanuel.
I believe that the advent of Governor Udom Emmanuel as the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State was divine and in answer to the prayers of lovers of the state. I said this studiedly because I am aware that having witnessed a quantum lip in foundation laying and infrastructural development since her birth in 1987 especially during the period 1999- 2015, the next phase of the development of the State was socio-economic. We needed to deliberately launch the state in the path of economic development by consciously encouraging industrialization, entrepreneurship, vis-a-vis, provision of necessary economic drivers like power, security, dependable transportation systems etc. This is where the experience, exposure, the reach, the capacity, the ability and the stewardship of Governor Udom Emmanuel were required.
We must be thankful to God for the unbroken chain of development in the state especially between 1999- till date on account of the leadership we have had and having in our dear state. This must not be taken for granted. Not many states in Nigeria are blessed this way.
As a person, I have served and will continue to serve this state diligently with a sense of duty, patriotism and commitment whenever and wherever God gives me the opportunity to do so.
We have got to that critical stage in our state where every hand must be on deck to add some value in our drive towards the actualization of the dreams of our founding fathers. I am not a pessimist but am not also unmindful of the goings on in Nigeria. It is not well in Nigeria. I say this patriotically beyond the prisms of politics or any primordial or sentimental considerations. So at the end of the day Akwa Ibom state may turn out to be all that we have. And in God’s divine agenda I believe we have enough within to make us that which we may ever wish to be in terms of human and natural resources. In the course of my life I have visited countries like Finland, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates etc and I know as a fact, that these countries have far less than we have in human and natural resources. Yet they have in less than or within a generation, by sheer dine of hard-work, dogged determination, patriotic zeal, focus on set goals moved their respective countries from very poor or less developed to economic forces that can not be ignored in global reckoning. They have guaranteed to their people almost full employment, food security and other needed social safeties.
It is consideration of the above that I invite all of you members of the pen profession to join forces and partner with the state in her drive towards development. With your pens, you can choose to destroy the state. But my invitation to you today is to use your pens to build the state. Whenever you want to write, let the interest of the state drive your thoughts. Let the interest of the state influence the flow of your ink. Think of how to unite the leaders in the state and not divide them along political or ethnic cleavages. Think of how to expose and market the potentials of our state and not how to undermine them. Think of how honest our people had been when they house boys and house girls, hewers of wood and fetchers of water, gatemen and drivers and then market our men and women as honest, reliable and dependable people as we step out and march forward to provide true, sincere and committed leadership that has eluded Nigeria since independence beginning from our state.
These truths are self-evident but not self-executing. This is when I have to remind you, that as Journalists you are critical stakeholders in the drive to build our state to an enviable position in the comity of states in Nigeria. Every society depends so much on a virile media for information dissemination, sensitization, education and direction. So you must continue to set agenda, and shape the opinions of the members of the society towards unifying the state and harnessing her resources for her sustainable development.
A former US President once said that, the first job of every Journalist in the US, is to remind the world everyday, how great and powerful, America is. I will want to borrow these words, to challenge Journalists in Akwa Ibom State, to remind the world that greatness lies in Akwa Ibom. Take it as your responsibility to market the state, tell the world of the resources in the state, the safety situation in the state, the focused leadership that is poised to protect all investments- local and foreign. The increasingly improved power situation in the state must known because this is what investors especially manufacturers want to hear. The good road network in the state must be advertised everywhere. We have the best medical facilities in the hand of any state in NIgeria.
I challenge the journalists in the state to lead the vanguard of reminding the leaders in the state, past and present, of the need to put AKWA IBOM PROJECT first in all their dealings and endeavors. Challenge and call them out on the need to unite and pull their individual reaches, contacts, experiences and exposures together to fight for and defend the state wherever they are irrespective of their political affiliations.
Can we imagine a forum where Former Governors, Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio, and Gov. Udom Emmanuel, and other leaders, like Umana Umana, Ita Enang, Idongesit Nkanga, Nsikak Eduok, Nsima Ekere, Don Etiebiet, Udoedehe, etc, will sit together as leaders to discuss the Akwa Ibom Project? Can we project what the result of such meeting will be, and how beneficial it will be to the state? This is not talking about politics, not parties, but a greater Akwa Ibom State. As press men, you can help us to achieve this.
Let me at this point, register my displeasure on the activities of some Journalists in the State. Some months ago, I was defamed by one of you, who published a story that Enoidem was involved in a murder case. The story was a complete falsehood, totally fabricated with no semblance of connection with me whatsoever. My mind was made up to seek protection for my hard earned reputation in court by instituting a libel suit for which I had given notice of action but had to drop it in deference to the leadership of the Union who intervened by leading a delegation to my home and pleaded on behalf the errant member who authored and disseminated the malicious publication. This how not to practice journalism.
The leadership of the Union have a lot to do, in sanitizing the union of quackery. Else, external mechanisms will be employed to correct these ills. This may not be very palatable. So the only way this can be avoided is through self-cleansing.
As I’m drawing the curtain on this key note address let me mention that there are two bills presently being considered by the National Assembly: The so called Hate Speech Bill and the Internet Falsehood and Manipulation and Other Related Offences Bill are time bombs. The two bills, in intent and purposes, are directly attacks on the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed in Section (39) (1) & (2) of the Constitution of the FRN 1999. The only exceptions to these basic and inalienable rights are as provided in subsection 3 of Section 39. It is important to say here that the law on defamation and libel but statutorily and under the common law and the law dealing with giving of information under the various criminal or penal codes in the the country are extant. So it is very suspicious why the Federal Government of Nigeria will clandestinely recruit and sponsor a member of the National Assembly to bring up such crude, cruel, anachronistic and primitive legislations in 2019.
The press needs to fight against this evil manifestations. We need to nip it in the bud.
It is as insulting to Nigerians as it is demeaning to us as a nation.
I want to express my confidence in the leadership abilities of the Union, led by the State Chairman, Comrade Amos Etuk, and also assure him of my partnership especially in working for the actualization of the AKWA IBOM PROJECT.
I wish to thank the NUJ Exco in Akwa Ibom State and its members, for the personal honour of finding me worthy to be a keynote speaker in the 2019 press week of the Union. I value this privilege and will continue to cherish it for a long time.”
