Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, has urged stakeholders to join hands in electing credible leaders in the forthcoming general election, who will grow the nation’s economy.
Zonal Coordinator of NEPC in Port Harcourt, Joe Itah, said this at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Correspodents Week organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Rivers State Council, with the theme, “Media Vigilance Ahead of Peaceful 2023 Election in Rivers State.”
Itah, represented by the Assistant Director, NEPC, Mrs Sylvia Adeleye, explained that having the right leaders will enable the nation’s economy to thrive.
“We believe that if we have the right leader, the economy will thrive and our GDP will grow. At NEPC, we promote the development of the non-oil sector. We encourage you all to put all hands on deck to ensure a credible free and fair election. When we have credible election, we will have credible leaders and when we have credible leaders, there will be growth and development in every sector of our economy,” the NEPC chief said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Rivers State, Mr Amaechi Okonkwo, expressed worries over the rising spate of political violence ahead of the 2023 general election in the state.
“In the past few weeks, we all know what has been happening around politics and campaigns in Rivers State. Even before now, we are not unaware of information about violence or pocket of violence here and there relating to election and electioneering in Rivers State.
“Rewind to 2019 when we last held general elections here and you will understand, the economic and social disruptions, the loss of lives and property and the nightmares of the militarization of the state, which are still very fresh in our hearts,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion and veteran journalist, Dr. Jossy Nkwocha, called on the media and Nigerian journalists to be patriotic in the reportage of the forthcoming general election in the country.
Nkwocha, who is the Head, Corporate Communications, Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, called on journalists to be careful about spreading fake news from various interest groups, saying there is the need to check sources of information before going ahead to use such stories.
Declaring the 2023 Correspondents’ Week open, the Commissioner of Information in Rivers State, Chris Finebone, urged media professionals to always seek to get better at their practice.
“Let us work hard to deliver. We admit things are difficult and that every sector is under some siege, but I urge all journalists to find a way to practise with passion and serve the masses better,” he added.
Earlier, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, said the umpire was collaborating with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to check vote-buying the forthcoming general election.
Describing vote-buying as a cankerworm that have eaten deep into the country’s system, Sinikiem, who was represented by the Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mark Usulo, said INEC has also sensitize youths in various villages in the country to monitor and report anyone involved in the act during the elections.
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