The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has made a strong case for the media profession to purge itself of quackery to reclaim its lost glory and rightful place in society as the fourth estate of the realm.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo made the remark at the weekend when he granted audience to the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
Recalling the historical role played by media veterans like Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Ernest Ikoli and others in the past, he noted that the media profession shares same fate with the legal profession that are currently buffeted by activities of quacks and lack of ethical discipline among its practitioners.
The Deputy Governor, who lamented that investigative journalism had virtually evaporated from the Nigerian media landscape due to the brown envelope syndrome, called for thorough house cleaning efforts to redeem the image of journalism in the country.
While expressing his love and respect for the two professions, which he described as noble and necessary for society, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, lamented that some lawyers like their media counterparts undermine the ethics of their profession with impunity and are now basking in corruption.
According to him, Nigeria would not be where it is today if majority of media and legal practitioners were upholding the tenets of their profession’s in the performance of their constitutional duties.
He, however, congratulated the new state executive council members of the NUJ and commended media practitioners for effective reportage of activities in the state and urged them to do more.
On the proposed NUJ Bayelsa Media Summit, Senator Ewhrudjakpo said the state government would participate in the event, and assured the union of support in other areas.
His words: “On behalf of the State Government, I want to congratulate you on your successful election. I want you to know that all that you went through during the period of your election constitute a great lesson for you to learn from.
‘Having said that, let me use this opportunity to talk about a few issues about 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, the two of them are now facing the same onslaught. The level of quackery and anything goes attitude is very high in journalism and the legal profession. No thanks to the brown envelope you people collect; and no thanks also to the night movements of lawyers.
“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.”
Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Nigeria, Comrade Tonye Yemoleigha, commended the state government for its notable strides in infrastructure, human capital development and fostering a healthy working relationship with the NUJ in the state.
Comrade Yemoleigha, who informed the Deputy Governor that the NUJ Bayelsa Media Summit would redefine the Bayelsa brand in the comity of states, called on the government to give the necessary support for the program to succeed.
Signed:
Mr Doubara Atasi
Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor
Bayelsa State
29/03/25
