The joy of Imo Journalists knows no bound as the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma donated brand new 14-Seater Executive Jet Mover buses to the State Chapter of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, and the Correspondent Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Imo State Council.
Governor Uzodimma made the generous gestures to Imo NAWOJ and the Correspondents Chapel as led by the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Imo State Council, Comrade Ifeanyi Nwangwuma alongside other journalists on Wednesday when they paid him a courtesy visit to officially introduce their new executive members.
Addressing Journalists at the occasion, Governor Uzodimma commended the leadership for the visit, while extolling newsmen for being significant partners in progress of the state and society in general.
He congratulated the new executives and members of the groups and urged them to eschew all forms of election differences but work together to advance the course of the body, union and profession.
The Governor who noted that no government and society succeeds without the media, charged Journalists in the state to always engage the government constructively on policies and projects so as to contribute their own quota in the development of the state.
“There is no Government without the media, as through your reportage, the world will know if a government is responsible or not. You people have been supportive of my government and I have also criticized where we are not doing well.
“But I want to urge you all to always make sure the interest of the country, state will be the over riding interest in your reportage. When the government is doing well, report such, and when there are gaps, call on them to fill such gaps. Show more commitment in objective reporting for the interest of our people.
“Continue the support you are giving us, and let us work together to strengthen the state as it is my desire to make Imo the fastest growing economy in this region. ‘Governor Uzodimma stated.
Fulfilling his promise to the request of Imo NAWOJ and Correspondents Chapel for bus donations, the governor stated that the gifts has been his long time intention to do the needful owing to the needs but constrained by the heavy money spent by the Government in his first tenure to combat insecurity in the state.
“I gave NUJ a bus when I was not a governor, talk more of now that I have become a governor. This I would have done since, but couldn’t because of the huge money we’ve spent in fighting insecurity.
In an interview, the NAWOJ Chairperson, Dr. Mrs. Nnaji Dorothy, Ph.D, who was overwhelmed with joy; after looking forward to the remarkable day as such, noted that Imo NAWOJians have not had a bus of their own for 35years since the inception of the association in the State.
Dr. Nnaji pointed out that she is so elated that it was achieved in her administration.
According to her, “My administration has broken the jinx and gotten our association a bus. It has been my dream, and it has come to pass today.
“I am very excited and pray that the Almighty God will continue to bless and keep our governor with the heart of a father, ‘Nnaji stated.
The Chairman of the Correspondent Chapel, Comrade Chinonso Alozie, who also expressed joy over the gift and earnestly thanked the Governor, said the visit was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the chapel and the state government.
Alozie added that the chapel was also desirous of identifying areas of partnership inline with its core mandate of developmental journalism.
The chairman also called for more inclusion of the press to enable better reportage of the activities and programmes of government.
The NAWOJ Chairman who is also head of Information unit of the Imo State House of Assembly also took the vehicle to the Assembly Complex to show it to her boss, the Clerk of the House, Barr. Mrs Chinelo Emeghara.