Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has said that there is greater need to encourage private media houses in Nigeria because to contribute immensely to boost national development.
Ayade said the private media outlets have helped people to get all perspectives and better understand of issues as well as government policies.
Represented by Dr Aye Henshaw, permanent secretary in the state ministry of information, the governor stated this when he spoke at the inaugural lecture on the topic “The Role Of Media In National Economic Developed – A Case Study of Cross River State,” organised by a private radio, Sparkling 92.3 FM, to mark its one year of successful broadcasting in the state.
” Private media houses in the country especially such ones in the state have a lot to bolster the local economy. They have helped people much to get all perspectives to many thorny government issues and policies.”’
“I dare say, too, that private radio, TV and print media have added value to information dissemination; they have reduced unemployment in the state.”
” But I want to however urge them to maintain the very high standard and enrich contents of their programmes and also expand to TV broadcasting. For Sparkling, they have added a new vista and broadened media architecture in Cross River”, he said.
Two guest lecturers, the time secretary to the government of old Cross River State, Chief Wilfred Inah, and Prof Offiong Ani Offiong of the University of Calabar, harped on importance of free access to information, vibrancy of the press and true democracy.
