By Julius Oweh
The thrust of the theory of developmental journalism is that the mass media should not be an adversary of the government but should rather partner with the government for the good of the citizens. That the mass media by subtle criticism of the government should point out the flaws and help the government to grow for the benefits of all. Though opponents of this theory may argue that it would make the mass media to be a propaganda tool of the government, it does not diminish its relevance. But a critical analysis would disarm such extremist views as both the mass media and those in government are critical stakeholders so that the primary objective of governance which is the security and welfare of the people are met.
It is against this backdrop the role of government owned controlled media outfits the world over can be understood. Here in Delta State, The Pointer newspaper, Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Asaba and DBS, Warri are playing critical roles in informing the people about the programmes and activities of the state government and the consequent feedback mechanism. The coming of Charles Aniagwu, the Information Commissioner in 2019 has raised the ante in information delivery system. A thorough bred journalist of the broadcast hue, he has brought a lot of innovations to the stable of The Pointer and DBS. He was a chief press secretary to the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Speaking recently at pre budget defence, the commissioner promised to rebrand the media outfits to meet modern challenges of information dissemination. He promised to harmonize the activities of DBS Asaba and Warri so that they could operate as one media outfit, adding that no staff would be sacked in the proposed harmonization . He said thus :We are hoping that at a point in time, we will unite the operations of DBS Asaba and DBS, Warri without having to lose any staff, so that at the end of the day, they operate much more harmoniously, rather than operating independently and not being able to give adequate information to our people. He also promised that in the nearest future, government shall recruit more staff for the media houses. He disclosed that N1.3 billion was required to set up a digital printing press for government , adding that government was also considering same for The Pointer newspaper.
A visit by this reporter to the premises of The Pointer newspaper headquarters, Nnebisi Road, Asaba shows the footprint of the commissioner. The place is completely rebranded. You are welcome to air conditioned reception section complete with chairs and television. There is a new building in the courtyard that houses an ultra-modern newsroom. All the editors and news editors are housed there each with television sets. Reporters are in the open newsroom, well-furnished and television sets to update them on latest happenings around the world. The computer section is simply a wonder to behold. There are computers for workers and the environment is very friendly. The same friendly environment duplicates itself in DBS Asaba and a beautiful landscape to behold. The reception room is also air conditioned and same for staff offices.
Speaking on rebranding of The Pointer, the General Manager, Mr. Monday Uwagwu held thumbs up for the commissioner in relation to previous experience. He said that the commissioner has overwhelmed them with set of new computers, scanners, laps. He talked about the new office complex housing the news room, the reception section simply a beauty to behold. Said Uwagwu : We have three circulation vans. We use the public relations officers in the Ministry of Information to file stories from local government headquarters where we do not have reporters. It is a healthy development. The Pointer remains the best government owned newspaper in terms of contents, aesthetics and circulation in the country. The government has upgraded our websites and e- version of our paper is very much alive. We cover all political stories and do not discriminate. The ball is in the court of the opposition parties to send their stories to us. We are here to serve all Deltans.
The General Manager of DBS, Asaba, Mr. Frank Whyte Osabohien was full of appreciation to the Information Commissioner describing him as a thorough bred professional who have impacted greatly on the performances of the electronic media. Said Frank Whyte Osabohien : He has used his wealth of experience to bear in repositioning DBS, Asaba for improved service delivery through the upgrade of broadcast equipment, procurement of critical broadcast components and installation of digital equipment to boost seamless transmission on both platforms of the broadcast outfit, by this I mean Voice of Delta, and Delta Television. The result is that the reach of both platforms in terms of area of coverage has improved tremendously with the attendant effect of increased listenership and viewership. Today the public perception of DBS has changed in the key areas of quality content and stability in transmission.
The DBS general manager said that there was no interference from government in terms of news and features content. He also said that there was a cordial relationship between the Ministry of Information and the management of DBS. He praised the various public relations officers for sending press releases about government activities and policies to the station.
Comrade Sunday Egede, the chairman of The Pointer chapel of NUJ saw the coming of the Information Commissioner in the province of transforming the fortunes of The Pointer newspaper stable. He couched it in these terms :The Information Commissioner is a goal getter who came to the Ministry with a transformation agenda in line with the policies and programmes of the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa administration. In my personal assessment, I think the performance index of the commissioner is awesome. One of the major innovations in The Pointer newspaper is the aesthetic ambience of the company. There is no doubt that the conducive work environment in the company had inspired greater productivity in terms of service delivery.
Churchill Oyowe, the editor of Ministry of Information news bulletin argued that the rebranding policy of the commissioner has made the public relations officers in the various local government areas to be sending reports to the bulletin which in turn are used by The Pointer and DBS. He mentioned that the public relations officers send their reports to The Pointer and are so used with their bylines. Because of the innovations in the Ministry of Information, youth corpers posted to Asaba had to lobby to be posted to the Ministry of Information as most corpers realize the friendly atmosphere of the Ministry. He explained further :The commissioner level of enthusiasm in the areas of welfare and motivation is unequalled and unparalleled. He rewards excellence and hard work. He has raised the bar in information service delivery. It is hoped that whoever succeeds him would build on his enduring legacy. Staff in the Ministry can testify to his commitment of making the atmosphere workers friendly.
Comrade Pere Botu, chairman of NUJ, DBS chapel maintained that the rebranding of DBS was a blessing in terms of provision of equipment and motivation to workers. That the Information Commissioner, as a thorough bred professional has done everything for the growth of DBS. He mentioned the provision of modern broadcast equipment, editing suite and apple max system. He said thus :We are very proud of the efforts made by the commissioner in rebranding and repositioning the DBS. He is passionate about capacity building of workers. Health matter is no longer issue because of the Insurance health scheme of the government. Workers are in friendly environment and putting in their best in information delivery system. But like the proverbial Oliver Twist, we need utility vehicles for news gathering, programmes making and marketing purposes.
The rebranding of the media outfits by the government is a win-win situation. Government would be able to pass information to the people and get feedback from the masses through the state owned media houses and this could build a level of confidence in the activities and programmes of government.
