Member representing the South East on the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Rep. Sam Onuigbo has stated that the greatness of a country’s future can be shaped through responsible reportage. Onuigbo made this known in a statement released in Umuahia on Monday, 5th August, 2024, shortly after the unveiling of the secretariat of the Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (OMPAN), Abia State chapter by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu. 


Describing the media as key to shaping people’s thoughts and actions, the two-time Member of the House of Representatives, said that with the current dominance of online media, OMPAN now bears the weight of using responsible reportage as a brick in building patriotism, perseverance, honesty, integrity, and dedication, in Nigerians. 



He stated that this can only be done when media practitioners focus on factual reportage arrived at by interrogating every aspect of a story before publication. 


Rep. Onuigbo thus charged OMPAN and other media practitioners to be aware of their important role in history and leverage on it to support the building of a strong, virile, and prosperous Nigeria. 



He urged  OMPAN leadership to steer it's members to exhibit the highest level of professional conduct in their practice by sticking to professional ethics and exploiting training opportunities even as he promised to support training opportunities for OMPAN Members 


Speaking on the role of the media in fostering good governance which delivers a better life for the citizens, Onuigbo maintained that OMPAN  must cooperate and collaborate with government of the day, so that both can work together to improve the lives of Abians, nevertheless, he urged OMPAN members as media practitioners to always exercise their constitutional roles as watchdog as in  failing  to do so they would be found wanting.


"Collaboration, cordial relationship is needed between OMPAN and Governor Alex Otti's administration for the government to do better, though the governor is already doing well.  If OMPAN publishes without facts, to undermine government, then it is trying to be disruptive, there must be balancing in reportage of issues  to encourage Gov Otti to do better. Collaboration, monitoring is needed to improve the state of affairs", he stressed  


He commended the Deputy Speaker for making out time from his very busy schedule to honour OMPAN. 


Earlier in his speech, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, urged OMPAN to be agents of positive change, entrenching the cardinal values of “fairness and integrity in their reportage”. 


The Deputy Speaker further urged them to tell both sides of every story by showcasing government’s achievements as a way of showing the people the efforts the government is making to address their concerns. 


Some of the other dignitaries at the event included Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, and Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, both former Speakers of the Abia State House of Assembly. Other dignitaries in attendance were Chief Daniel Akwari, Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Deputy Speaker, and Hon. Trump, National Commissioner on National Population Commission. 


The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the new secretariat by Rt. Hon. Kalu.