The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, has urged the media to properly educate and inform Nigerians about the various projects and achievements of all tiers of government rather than focusing on negative aspects.
Ochekpe made the call at a forum on President Goodluck Jonathan’s four years achievements, organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs on Thursday in Abuja.
She said: “As someone has said that either by design or omission, the Nigerian media has chosen to publicise insurgency as against the things we are doing to build our country.
“I have also said that angel will not come to build Nigeria for us.
“We have to build it.
“So if we choose to publicise bad things, that is what people we know us for our country.”
Ochekpe said that the ministry was engaging several avenues to publicise the projects being handled by the ministry, including the use of media practitioners and the social media.
“We also ensure that our programmes are online because there are people who follow us all over the world,” she said.
She said that a lot of achievements had been recorded in many communities across the country, adding that a lot more had been done compared to the past administration.
She added: “We are doing work that can be seen and identified.
“That is why we brought all the pictures to show on this forum and we will also appreciate if people can visit the sites of the projects.”
Ochekpe said that the ministry rehabilitated abandoned boreholes that were hitherto not useful, adding that more boreholes would soon undergo rehabilitation.
She said the ministry had encouraged hand washing among students in the schools and rural areas to make it effective, especially where there were large crowds.
She commended the FCT Administration for increasing water supply in the territory.