By Essien Ndueso
S/A to AKS Commissioner for Information
08039529226

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Social Re-Orientation, Mr. Aniekan Umanah has called on the mass media in Nigeria to shunned partisan politics and unethical practices in order to contribute positively toward electoral reforms in the country.

Mr. Umanah made the remarks at the annual lecture/seminar organized by the Association of Communication Arts Students (ACAS), held at the University of Uyo.

He said the mass media as a major tool in the electoral process has a strong role to play in the electoral reforms in the country. He said this role is very significant, as the media provide a vehicle in which millions of electorate can be reached and can be used to educate the people on sanity in the process of electing leaders in the country.

The information boss admonished the media practitioners to endeavour to carry out their social responsibility, by capturing the needs and aspirations of the polity so that an acceptable electoral reform could be actualized.

He said that the media men should be acquainted with the Electoral Act of 2006 in order to set an agenda that will capture the needs and aspirations of the polity. This way, according to Mr Umanah, an acceptable electoral reform could be actualized.

He said this could be achieved if the practitioners shunned money politics, thuggery, violence and threats as these are bane to our political development.

He identified Akwa Ibom State as an example of a state where electoral vices were abhorred as the people went enmasse to vote for Chief Godswill Akpabio as state Governor in 2007.

He said that rather than vote for money spending politicians, the people of Akwa Ibom chose Chief Akpabio from the list of over 53 aspiring politicians and because of his sterling qualities as a committed and trustworthy leader.

Mr. Aniekan Umanah commended the Department of Communication Arts and the students for organizing a lecture of such magnitude saying the topic is timely as it comes at a time where political awareness in the country is high and democracy has come to stay in the country. He said the students’ interest in the electoral process was an indication that the democracy consciousness in the country is developing.

He called on the students to be hardworking and open up to contemporary area of communication as Political Reporting, marketing politics etc

Others who presented papers at the lecture were Mr. Tunde Thompson, a renowned columnist from The Sun Newspaper, who delivered the key note address and Mr. Anietie Ukpe, the Special Assistant on Media to the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

The event was well attended by the students and staff of the Department.

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