Nigerians have been advised to support restructuring which involves reviewing the way things are instead of succumbing to the whims of a few politicians to guarantee prosperity for all, Ray Ekpu admonished.
Ekpu, who is the retired Chief Executive Officer of Newswatch Communications Limited, Lagos speaking Thursday at the official opening of a four-day National Executive Council meeting of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, noted, “Let us not think of where we come from. Restructuring is an idea whose time has come. Nigeria is in deep difficulty right now. Don’t tell to me ‘you are here or there and you don’t want people to talk about restructuring’
He narrated “Federal roads are fixed by state governments. Some of them we put a sign board and say we are fixing it bear with us. Is that how federalism ought to be? Federal hospitals in states are being supported by state governments. Is that the meaning of federalism? The federal police is supported by the state governments without any exception. Is that the meaning of federalism?
We have to review the way things are. For me, that is the meaning of restructuring. We have solid minerals in all the 774 local government areas in this country. But who are those benefiting- Illegal miners? I expect we, as journalists, can suggest to the federal government to get the state governments involved, get the local governments involved. Let every state, let every community benefit from the solid minerals. It is a partnership that can work.”
According to him, “We don’t have roads, but we are the second largest deposit of bitumen in the world. Nobody is exploiting the five states of the federation. We have gold in about six states of the federation. If, for instance, the federal government gets the state government involved and the local government involved and we exploit the 43 mineral resources we have in the country, we would prosper.”
“Let the federal government not hold onto everything and we don’t know anything and we tend to lose in the final analysis. It is not cost disadvantage to anybody but to make the country prosper and to make us to prosper. As journalists, educate the masses and don’t mind the politicians. They have played their own game and we as journalists who helped to fight for democracy in this country can help to educate the public. The politicians gave this country to Abacha, gave to Babangida and nearly gave it to Obasanjo so that we would be like Zimbabwe,” Ekpu enjoined.
Abdulwaheed Odusile, NUJ National President said the union is under severe attacks by quacks and self-centred journalists, and called on journalists to heed the clarion call of sanitizing the body.
Professor Eno James Ibanga, the vice chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden in a keynote address entitled “The Media, Democracy and National Development” told journalists to be unbiased and balanced in their reportage to forge a common front aimed at sustaining the overall development of the country.
