BAYELSA GOVT. ORGANIZES TRAINING/WORKSHOP FOR MEDIA PRACTITIONERS By Evans Tubonah

Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah
Deputy Governor, Bayelsa State

The Bayelsa Ministry of Information and Orientation has commenced a Two Day Training/Workshop Programme for practicing Journalists in the State. 

Declaring the occasion open, the State's Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah ( Rtd.) commended the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso Markson for taking the bold initiative in organizing the programme.

While describing the vision as laudable, the Deputy Governor said, Bayelsa is also the home  of journalism, because as he puts it, one of the veteran journalists that founded the Independence of Nigeria, Ernest Ikoli is from Bayelsa.

To that end he called on media practitioners in the state to take advantage of the opportunity offered by the Ministry of Information to pay attention to the programme so as to update their knowledge in the dissemination of information;  either as public or private practitioners.

Admiral John Jonah (Rtd), reminded participants who said a good journalist must be a good citizen called on the media to always consider national interest and or the interest of the state as none negotiable, and urged them to uphold the ethics of their profession tenaciously in the areas of national peace and prosperity.

Earlier, The Honourable Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso Markson who welcomed all and sundry for attending the historic event , said the Bayelsa State Government under the able leadership of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, had made some remarkable, unprecedented achievements from  inception in office in 2012,  which include monthly Transparency/ Accountability briefings of the income and expenditures accruing into the statement, Educational development that had recorded a towering rise on educational standard according the ratings of examining bodies such as WAEC, JAMB, NECO and coming out first at National Quiz Competitions. He talked about the quality of schools with burden facilities, the Ijaw National College, the African University, scholarships award within and outside etc. and building of the Ecumenical Centre in the as among some of the unprecedented achievements of the Dickson administration.

On the the Media Training /Workshop, first ever of such programme, Iworiso Markson said it is one of the cardinal policies of the Dickson Restoration Government to train and retrain workers in the state to enhance prproductivity and the media being a very critical sector in governance, needs to be trained and retrained so as to be updated to be in terms with modern day realities in the practice of journalism. He explained the good intentions of government for holding the programme in these words:

"Why we are doing this is to empower you to be skillful in the noble profession of journalism, because I know that some of you are are good on it, I have interacted with you and believe that you will do more excellently by training and retraining."

The Hon, Commissioner who revealed that he had been in the practice of journalism in 27 years and loves to continue in the noble profession aa long as he lives, called on the participants to some years people were showcasing militancy as the way of life of Bayelsans, but today, we are telling the world that we are not what the outside world thinks about us, because we are journalists.
Iworiso Markson emphasized the need for journalists to give in their best in service delivery with professional conduct in these words:
"You are in a critical profession, you have to be to be passionate about the profession so that people will respect you and also respect the profession."
In there separate speeches, the Head Of Service to the State's Civil Service, Rev. Thomas Zidafamor,  the Secretary to State Government, Barrister Kemela Okara, and the Chief Of Staff Government House, Rt. Hon. Talford Ongolo gave kudos to the information Commissioner for the unprecedented media training programme.
The Lecturer, Professor Ralph A. Akinfeleye speaking on the theme: " CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING AND WORKSHOP PROGRAMME FOR MEDIA PRACTITIONERS IN BAYELSA STATE"  harps on Democracy, National Security, Information Officers Responsibility to the People And Government In The Avoidance of Fake News  And Hate Messages...amongst others said: "...the engine room of democracy is the media"
He said those who documented events in the Bible were called Scribes, while journalists are called Reporters, making it clear that journalism should be a profession that has a place in heaven, which has truth and objectivity as it's foundation.
He said a nation cannot talk about Democracy without talking about the Media and that truth and objectivity cannot be eroded in the practice of journalism, because the peace and prosperity of state 'hinges on truth and objectivity.'
He also

The Information Commissioner left  the resource persons