DSIEC seeks media support for Delta council poll

Ahead of the January 6 council elections in Delta State, the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) in collaboration with the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has organised a one-day workshop to equip journalists with the requisite expertise for peaceful election coverage.

In his keynote address at the event, the DSIEC Chairman, Chief Mike Ogbodu, said that that the commission is charged with the responsibility of conducting elections at the local government level, as contained in the extant laws of the land, adding that the media is also guided by laws especially when reporting electoral matters and cannot be undermined.

Ogbodu urged the leadership and members of the NUJ to continue its synergy with the electoral commission as it strives to enthrone the ethos of democracy in the society, adding that any incorrect report, particularly with regard to the forthcoming elections could truncate the peace prevalent in the society, hence the need for the seminar.

In the same vein, the Commissioner, Public Affairs and Communication, DSIEC, Mrs. Yvonne Wegbatsoma, solicited the support of all stakeholders,particularly the media, noting that the commission is ready to discharge unbiased role as credible elections are a vital component of democracy, even as she hoped that the symposium would acquaint journalists the tools to report the election in a manner that would foster peace in the society.

Earlier, the Chairman, Delta State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, said that the conference was intended to inculcate in the journalists, what is expected of them before, during and after the elections, even as he commended the DSIEC administration for organizing the workshop, despite the paucity of funds. He also charged them to be transparent to enhance democracy and development in the state.

In his lecture tagged “Towards Successful Media Coverage of the Delta State 2018 Local Government election. The Dos and Don’ts of The Journalist,” Head of Department, Mass Communication, Delta State University, Dr. Emmanuel Biri, said that the journalist is an unbiased umpire expected to play the role of a watchdog, adding that the reporter is expected to be objective, balanced and fair in his reportorial.

Biri admonished pressmen not to allow inducements influence their reports as they are expected to be interpretative and analytical and also get familiar with the electoral laws, even as he charged them not to allow themselves to be used as stooges to further the interests of any politician.