Ogun state government solicits support of media in fight against coronavirus

The Ogun State Government has appealed to the media on the need to join in the fight against coronavirus, and solicited for effective reportage about the importance of the vaccines.

Penpushing reports that, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Odusile made the call while declaring open a one day UNICEF sponsored Media Advocacy on Coronavirus Vaccination Update held in Ijebu-Ode

The Commissioner pointed out that, one area that needs to be looked into is sensitization of the populace to get them sufficiently interested in the vaccines, adding that, there is no better vehicle to use to achieve this than the media, hence need of the workshop.

‘The question to ask is why. Why is this apathy among our people to get vaccinated in spite of government best efforts through making the vaccines accessible?’, Odusile said

‘There is no quick or one answer to this, but one area that needs to be looked into is sensitization of the populace to get them sufficiently interested in the vaccines. And there is no better vehicle to use to achieve this than the media, hence this workshop’, he added.

‘Dear colleagues, we cannot hide from the need for collaborative efforts between government and its partners, one of which is the media, towards further sensitization of our people at the grassroots about the reality of Covid-19’.

‘More importantly, we need to jointly formulate practical strategies aimed at communicating the correct messages about the vaccines to our people’, Odusile added.

‘Given this reality, our government, in partnership with UNICEF, has decided to bring together media practitioners from all corners of the State, particularly those closest to residents from the 20 Local Government Areas of the State, to discuss how to share genuine and correct information about the ongoing mass vaccination exercise’.

‘I am confident that the array of media practitioners selected for this workshop, will come up with viable strategies to help boost the people’s confidence in the Covax vaccination’.

‘On our part as government, we will continue to strengthen our bond with development partners, while ensuring that the well-being of residents is prioritized at all times’.

‘I want to call on you all to use this opportunity as a springboard for effecting positive behavioural change in our people’s disposition to the covid-19 vaccines. The media, as we all know, is a potent agent capable of collectively achieving this alongside government’, he emphasised.

Penpushing further reports that, the Coordinating Director Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lanre Ogunyinka earlier in his welcome speech explained that, the workshop was aimed at keeping media practitioners in our state, abreast of the length that government and its development partners have gone to protect residents from coronavirus through the ongoing mass vaccination across the state.

‘It should be noted, you and I have come a long way in entrenching and upholding the social values, ethos and moral standards of our society, thus ensuring that the public are well-informed about the activities of those that govern them’, Ogunyinka stated.

Penpushing also reports that, he admitted that media has continued to play its part from the time that the global pandemic broke out till date, but pointed out that, until the situation returns to normalcy, the onus is on media to not relent, but consistently remain proactive at dishing out to the public, appropriate information, situation reports and renewed hope, just as government continues to work hard for complete normalcy to return.

‘Gentlemen of the Press, the ongoing mass vaccination exercise, which started last year, is our hope to beat the virus for good. Despite the disposition of some of our people to the virus and its consequences for individuals and society alike, the fact remains that the virus is real’, Ogunyinka said.

‘As such, we must, as professionals, saddle ourselves with the responsibility of informing the public about the development impetus that would impact positively on their well-being, through awareness campaigns in the form of news reports, articles, features, interviews, documentaries, and other vital means of informing to provoke the right attitudinal change and such that will convince a majority of our people in Nigeria on the reality of the Covid 19 pandemic’.

‘More importantly, we have a duty to sensitize our people on the need to get vaccinated in order to survive the various variants of Covid-19 he emphasised.

‘Dear members of the fourth estate of the realm, it is pertinent to recognise and duly appreciate a standing partner at all times with our dear state, particular on issues relating to mother and child health care and survival—the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF). The relationship of this renowned world donor agency with Ogun State is purely a partnership that works’.

‘Here is a clarion call to the media and other stakeholders here and out there that for us to have a peaceful, hygienic, and developed society, it is our collective responsibility. The more reason we are also all here today’, he stated.

‘I hope that you will find this workshop educative and enlightening enough to make you an ambassador of the “Reduce the spread of the Covid 19 campaign”,Ogunyinka posited.

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