Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi.
Kebbi State Government has expressed it dissatisfaction over dispersion of rumour and fake news it is through social media in the state.
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu who stated this during the opening ceremony of three day training workshop for Media Practitioners in Kebbi State organised by the Kebbi State Chapter of NUJ at the Presidential Banquet Hall in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday noted instead of using the platform for productive purposes, the handlers are using it to peddle untrue statements.
“This training is aim at giving you special skills on the use of Social Media and content development with a view to sanitizing the use and practice of medium”, he said.
Bagudu who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government(SSG),Alhaji Babale Umar Yauri, explained that since assumption of office in 2015, conscious effort have been made to reposition media stations owned by the state government to meet the yearnings of the people.
” In spite of the dearth of funds, the Government awarded and paid contract for the digitization of the State Radio and Television stations at Birnin Kebbi,Koko and Zuru, the contract is almost completed “, he said.
Bagudu said that his Government was open to the media to make inquiries and seek explanations saying that ” the state is a friend of the media and shall continue to be so “, he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the association NUJ in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Jajirma, expressed optimism that the workshop was expected to change the face of new media practice in the state for the better.
“Only ethical conduct can define our contribution to good governance and national development. The spate of hate speech, fake news and rumour mongering perpetuate by some new media practitioners is increasingly becoming a serious threat to our national life,” Aliyu said.