The management of a new Yenagoa-based broadcast station, Golden 97.5FM, has said a robust partnership with the Bayelsa State government would be a major contribution to development of the state.
Managing Director of the station, Chinenye Okafor, stated this on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, at the Government House, Yenagoa.
Okafor, who was accompanied by the Station Manager, Mr. Michael Emenyonu aka Flyboy, assured that the media outfit would be partners in progress and would do everything professionally to promote the activities of the state government.
She expressed delight that under Governor Douye Diri, media organisations enjoy free press in the state.
The Golden FM MD commended the governor’s spokesperson for the warm reception and for giving the administration a positive image through his relationship with the media and for projecting the activities of the governor and the state government very well.
“As the fourth estate of the realm, the media has a duty to protect the polity within the ambits of the law. And we want to assure the government that we will be partners in the development of the state,” Amaka stated.
The Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in his response, congratulated the new station and thanked the management for the visit.
Alabrah welcomed the latest addition to the Bayelsa media space and urged the station to be professional and engage in responsible broadcast and programming that would endear it to people of the state.
He said as the governor’s spokesman, his job entails building a robust relationship with the media in recognition of their significant role in promoting government’s activities.
He said: “The media is what brings light to government’s activities. Your best effort and achievements would be akin to winking in the dark if they are not projected by the media. So, the media is a very important partner of any government all over the world while performing its basic role of informing, educating and entertaining.”
Alabrah noted that the Diri administration was media-friendly, encourages responsible journalism, constructive criticism while abhorring media censorship.
He stressed that the governor believes in the freedom of the press and enjoins the media to at all times promote unity and peace through its reportage.
