Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has charged journalist to demand accountability from government office holders, rather than reward them with awards on the basis of relationship.
He disclosed this in Port Harcourt, Rivers capital on Friday when he received the national leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) who paid him a curtesy visit at the government house.
Kelvin Ebiri, special assistant to the governor on media, in a communique quoted Wike to have said there was need for journalists to intensify efforts as the strong voice and conscience of the society, The Cable reports.
He said, “What I have seen of you is that you praise us and give us award because of friendship. That’s not the way it should be. Challenge us — the people in authority — and we will sit up to our responsibilities. We will have no choice than to perform and serve the people as it should be,” he said.
“My support for you has to do with the fact that you are supposed to tell the truth of what is happening in Nigeria.
“There was a time you were exposing the ills of society. If not for you, certain things will not be known. Assume your role, grow strong again and speak out.”
Speaking on the #EndSARS protests, Wike said, “If when I castigated the operations of SARS you added your voice, who knows what good that would have achieved.”
“Now look at what has happened. There was EndSARS protest across the country. Nobody knows how the youth were able to organise themselves without a leader. Up until now, intelligence can’t even know how they did it and who’s behind them. Without good intelligence, how can Nigeria even defeat Boko Haram?”