Present leaders’ve made Nigeria laughing stock — Ohuabunwa

Convener, New Nigeria Group, NNG, Dr Sam Ohuabunwa, has accused the present leaders of Nigeria of making the country a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

He stated that the country has been in bad shape for over seven years and needs a new crop of competent, corrupt-free and not sectional leaders who will drive it out of the doldrums.

Ohuabunwa who was the guest lecturer at the 5th-anniversary celebration of Flo FM, Umuahia, identified the major problems bedevilling the Nigerian nation as poor leadership and urged the media to join hands to rescue the country.

Speaking on the theme: “Imperative of Media activism in rescuing Nigeria from the throes of poor and retrogressive Government”, Ohuabunwa said it had been established over the years that the traditional role of the media has been to inform, educate and entertain the people.

He explained that journalists are supposed to be impartial, but lamented that some media practitioners have deviated from the tradition.

In his words; “In Nigeria, the independence of the media is not firmly assured because most of the media are owned by the government and they dictate what should be news.

“Things have gone so bad in the country especially the killings in North East that the media are tired of reporting them, even those who dare to report being accused of partisanship. But one thing is certain, the media cannot be intimidated into abandoning their course. Young people want to exit the country, people are tired. The Nigerian populace feels that the government has failed them. Many governors act as emperors and Governors-General. They have pocketed everything.”

“For now, the media seem to be the only hope for the common man. The media may not solve all the problems facing the country, but can draw to the fore, the wrongs in the society.”

Abia State deputy governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu commended Flo FM for its quality broadcasting and added that the Radio station has helped in reducing unemployment in the state.

Oko Chukwu promised that the state government would partner with the station to continue to deliver on its core mandate.
Founder of the Radio station, Raymond Nkemdirim, a retired Director of DSS, said he established the station to give the people unfiltered access to information.

“We’ve been here for the past five years educating and entertaining the people through apolitical broadcasting. My staff are under 40 and they are making a huge impact.”

He promised that the station would not waver in the discharge of its core mandate.