Media practitioners in Niger State have been enjoined to partner with the State Government in ensuring the success of the New Niger Agenda of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago-led administration in the State.
The State Commissioner of Information and Strategy Hon Hajiya Binta Mamman gave the advice when she paid a courtesy call on the leadership of the Niger State Council of NUJ, in conjunction with their members at the IBB Pen House Minna State Secretariat of the Union, to seek for partnership and synergy for the task ahead.
Hajiya Binta Mamman, a former member of the Niger State House of Assembly representing Gurara Constituency, in the last dispensation in the state, explained that the New Niger Agenda of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago can only succeed if they work collectively with the Media to accord the programme the desired wider publicity it deserved.
The Commissioner however pledged to operate an open door policy of administration stressing that with the number of Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) undertaken by the State Governor, coupled with the political will he has exhibited so far the New Niger Agenda will be a reality.
According to Hajiya Binta Mamman, in the next three years, Nigerlites would be counting the dividend of democracy courtesy of the new administration of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago and called for their support and understanding to achieve greater heights.
Hajiya Binta Mamman also spoke of plans by the Niger state government to accord prominence to the training and retraining of its staff in addition to repositioning the State-owned Media houses for effective service delivery.
In his remarks, Chairman Niger State Council of NUJ Comrade Abu Nmodu who decried shortage of manpower and dilapidated nature of state-owned media houses in Niger State, is capable of making it difficult to attract any investors, just as he called on Niger state government to invest in the media houses to change the ugly trend.
Comrade Abu Nmodu who called for the recruitment of Journalists by the state government to cover the shortfall would also want Niger state government to partner with NUJ in its quest to enroll Journalists in the state Health Insurance Scheme.
In their separate remarks, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Strategy in the state Ministry of Information and Strategy, Hajiya Aisha Yawa, Director of Administration, Hajiya Su’ad Lami Yakawu and the Director Information Service, Hassana Kpetu described journalists as critical stakeholders in the actualisation of their set objectives.
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