Edo partners NUJ to combat fake news, misinformation, as journalists embark on tour of projects

Edo State Government has partnered with the state’s chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to combat false narratives and showcase some projects of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration, aimed at improving the livelihoods of the people and achieving economic prosperity for the state.

The Edo NUJ on Wednesday embarked on a tour of projects across the three senatorial districts of the state to visit some of the government’s projects and dispel misinformation spread by quacks in the profession.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, at the flag off the media tour at the Secretariat of Edo NUJ in Benin City, said the government has embarked on several transformational projects across the nooks and crannies of the state, noting that the media tour will further bring some of these projects to public domain and correct false narratives spread by untrained journalists.

He said, “The tour has created the opportunity for trained journalists to move from project to project across the three senatorial districts of Edo State to enable them see all the government’s projects executed in the last six years.

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This will enable journalists to inform the public of what the government has done so far and dispel fake news which is focused on painting the government in a bad light.

“This tour will enable journalists to visit these projects and inform the public so as to help enrich the body of knowledge.”

Osagie added: “We have primary healthcare centres across the state and some people are not even aware and may be ill looking for institutions to get medical care. We have a College of Agriculture in Iguoriahki and College of Education in Abudu, which will be commissioned soon.

These are projects that will benefit Edo people. We believe that this tour will enable the people to know more about the government’s projects.”

On his part, the Chairman of Edo NUJ, Festus Alenkhe, noted that “today is a special day in the history of Edo journalists as we embark on this media tour to take a look at the various projects of the state government, both completed and ongoing.

“This will give us the opportunity to see these projects ourselves in the three senatorial districts, including Edo South, Central and North. Whatever story we see, becomes a public story.”