Embrace issues based campaign, or risk exposure, journalists tell aspirants

The Owerri Zonal Media Forum (OZMF), the umbrella body of Owerri journalists in the state has called on political office seekers angling for various seats in next year’s elections to focus energy and time on issues based politics in the interest of the state and democracy.
The forum which spoke at the end of its monthly
meeting in Owerri the Imo State capital also vowed to use the weapon available to it, which is media to expose and shame any aspirant trying to hoodwink the electorate with deceptive schemes clothed with garbs of seeming factual campaign to forstall chances of electing incompetent leaders.
OZMF which made this stance public in a statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the coordinator Chinedu Opara and Director of Publicity and New Media Emeka Nkwoada, pointed
out that the decision fell squarely into the constitutional duty of the fourth estate of the realm which is acting as the Watchdog of society.
The statement stressed that the body has come to the realization that the media as a critical part of the democratic culture needed to stand up to vigorously and seriously play it’s own role in the state and nation search for an ideal system where only politicians who are competent and driven by the passion to serve occupy elective offices.
It expressed regret that
this fundamental function had suffered neglect in the past thus the littering of the political space by bad leaders who have succeeded in reversing growth and development gains of the past.
The media practitioners appealed to the aspirants who have already started jostling for elective offices to strictly adhere to open, transparent and issues based campaign as anything to the contrary would not only be frowned at, but equally exposed to to help the electorate make informed choices during the election.
The group stressed the urgent need to bring on to
leadership positions a new crop of visionary and mission driven leaders committed and willing to shift the paradigm and change our narrative to help bring back the badly ebbeb hope of the people on democracy.
It made it clear that the ensuing task is not a one man or one group show but rather a task which all concerned stakeholders and Imolites must sign up to since it’s very clear that left alone politicians are prepared for selfish and personal interests to ruin the system in order to win elections.