NUJ Media Tour aimed at improving service delivery to Nigerians – Odusile

The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odusile, says the ‘Democracy Dividend Media Tour’ embarked upon by the union is aimed at improving service delivery to Nigerians.
Odusile stated this on Monday in Gusau, Zamfara, at the commencement of the media tour which would be carried out throughout the country.
He said: “As watchdogs and in exercising our constitutional responsibilities, journalists are supposed to hold government accountable and to ensure that people’s expectations are met.”
He said that although the visitation was not aimed at awarding performance marks on the states, the team would look into the revenue generation base of a state vis-a-vis development effort of state governments.
The NUJ president said that “sometimes, some of these foreign media give negative reports and representation of our country.
He said: “This tour will give participating journalists, who have been drawn from various media outfits and platforms, the opportunity to make on-the-spot analysis of the states.’’
Odusile gave an assurance that reports that would come from the tour would be fair and objective.
In his response, the state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Sanda Kwatarkwashi, said “only non-performing states will run away from this laudable initiative by the NUJ”.
Kwatarkwshi said: “As we take you round, you will see that the state government under Governor Abdulaziz Yari has achieved a lot in the last seven years.
“The two days you have given for the tour cannot be enough for us to cover the projects spread throughout the 14 local government areas of the state.’’
The commissioner thanked the union for choosing the state as a start-up point of the tour.
Kwatarkwashi noted the state government’s commitment to continue to partner with the media to showcase its activities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the media tour, which was initiated by the National Secretariat of the NUJ, would involve over 40 journalists.
The journalists are to look and report government performances across the country.