Delta APC to Okowa: You are Neglecting Government Owned Media Houses

PRESS STATEMENT

Delta APC to Okowa: You are neglecting Government Owned Media Houses

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has chastised Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s led government for abandoning the State owned media Houses, thereby making them to be almost moribund.

The Party notes that state owned Radio and Television Stations in both Warri and Asaba are now shadows of themselves.

The Party laments the State Government’s penchant for promoting non-existing and/ or poor quality projects, in order to mislead Deltans and non-Deltans outside the State on the state of affairs; spends Billions of Naira on privately owned Stations outside Delta State to the detriment of State owned Stations.

The preference for private Stations results in low patronage for the management of the State owned media Houses, which leaves them with the little resources at their disposal to keep the Stations afloat.

It is common knowledge that the Commissioner for Information, who is a product of privately owned media House (where he was before assuming his present position), obviously feels more at home patronizing his people (private media outlets) outside the State, where he gleefully dishes out half-truths and outright falsehoods on the wobbling strides of the Government regarding amongst other things, the development of the State.

The implication of this is that while state owned Stations wallow in paucity of funds to operate and give the people quality service, privately owned Stations outside Delta State smile to the bank on a weekly basis, on account of government patronage.

Without dispute, lack of funds has adversely affected the standard and contents of the programmes aired on State owned media Houses. In most cases, the programmes are aired for too many times to the irritation and annoyance of the viewing public!

Besides, these State owned media Houses hardly operate beyond 10pm daily, and the Government is obviously not bothered about it.

Delta APC is not by any stretch of imagination condemning the patronage of privately owned media Houses outside Delta State, but doing that at the expense of what is rightly “Deltan” is what the Party kicks against. That aside, a good product sells itself. Deltans are supposed to be the buyers of the products of Govr. Okowa’s Government as Deltans ought to be the ones to assist the Government with the sale of her products if any! But because there are none, the churning out of non-existing developmental strides through outsiders in the State, and Government’s “Hallelujah boys” who struggle on a daily basis to shamefully sell the State Government’s bad products through social media has become the norm.

Delta APC therefore calls on the State Government to immediately pay attention to State owned media Houses and ensure that they do not go into extinction.

Sylvester Imonina, Esq,

PublicitySecretary, APC Delta State.

9th November, 2020.