SENATOR EKONG SAMPSON ENGAGES CONSTITUENTS ON CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP…AS MEDIA PROFESSIONALS LAUD LAWMAKER ON ROBUST LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS

 

 

By Edet Okpo

Over 300 award-winning Media Professionals, ICT experts and other Communication Students have completed their intensive training in the ongoing training and empowerment programs of the Senator representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator (Dr.) Ekong Sampson. 

The training which has as its theme “Training of Youths and Women in ICT and Effective Media Communication in Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District” took place on Monday, October 21, 2024 at Watbridge Hotel and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Participants were selected from the three federal constituencies making up Eket Senatorial District, under the umbrella of Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals. 

Giving highlights on the essence of the training, the sponsor and convener of the programme, Senator Ekong Sampson, who is the Chairman, Senate House Committee of Solid Minerals, also used the occasion to give a brief rundown of his achievements as a senator within the past one year. Represented by a former Commissioner of Information in the Akwa Ibom State and Honorary Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Crown Prince Chris Abasieyo, he disclosed that over 1000 are expected to benefit from trainings of different kinds across areas of specialty including mining, tailoring, confectionary, ICT among others. 

 “The training programmes, which will be periodic, comes in fulfillment of my commitment to deepening human capacity development, enhance skills and productivity of our people in Akwa Ibom South. I will continue to facilitate and support training and retraining of Akwa Ibom South indigenes, to sharpen them for the demands of the 21st century workforce and employability. Education and human capacity development have formed the major thrust of my legislative advocacy, due to their importance in the development of a people”.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Association of EKet Senatorial District Media Professionals, Elder Edet Okpo commended Senator Ekong Sampson on his robust legislative engagement and impactful representation in the Senate which have attracted quality dividends to his constituents.

Okpo added that the lawmaker has not been found wanting in the trinity mandate of lawmaking, oversight and representation.

 

“Your political life is a testimony built on the foundation of boundless grace, hardwork, resilience, loyalty and consistency. You’re an incontestable reference point in leadership and public service; a testament of determination in contemporary narratives. With your track record of dedicated service to humanity and unquestionable democratic credentials; as a former Councilor/Head of Council, two terms Chairman of Mkpat Enin LGA, 8 years as Member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly,!Member of State Executive Council for 5 years and the current Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we never doubted that you have superfluous experience and intellectual prowess to give our Senatorial District the best representation in the Senate.”

 

 The Media Professionals leader lauded Senator Ekong for sponsoring strategic people-oriented and development-inclined bills like revisiting issues pertaining to the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi; Bill for establishment of a Federal Medical Centre in Akwa Ibom South; and Bill for establishment of Federal University of Medical Sciences in Eket as well as 

 sponsorship of a bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Development Corporation, to expand the frontiers of the country’s mining sector; moved  critical motions which have received or are receiving further legislative actions.

 

“We are aware that you also have set up a Special Constituency Projects Assessment and Implementation Committee as an instrument to oversee the infrastructural projects equitably spread across the senatorial district, such as ICT Centres for improved access to technology; erosion control; rehabilitation of electricity projects, grading of roads, provision of street light,among others.

 

According to Elder Okpo, the training and empowerment of today for media professionals  is a facet of your reinforced commitment in the area of sustainable human capacity development aimed at improving the productivity of the pen pushers  in the Senatorial District for high level professionalism. Your multidimensional template of capacity-building, job creation and empowerment of constituents pinpoints to your deep knowledge and understanding of the diverse needs of indigenes of the senatorial district in a vast and fast-changing world of unfolding trends.

On hand were renowned scholars and celebrated communication experts who presented papers across subject areas, with timeouts for interaction with the audience. They included  the Dean, Faculty of  Communication and Media Studies, University of Uyo, Professor Peter Esuh, who was the lead presenter; a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication and former Chief  Press Secretary to former Governor Victor Attah , Dr. Udeme Nana; and Dr. Abasifreke Idiong also of the University of Uyo, who dissected diverse areas including dynamics of digital marketing and content creation, responsible journalism and application of ICT tools by media professionals. 

Presenting his paper entitled “Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Content Creation”, Prof Esuh, a Professor of Marketing Communication and Applied Rhetoric, emphasized on the necessity for media practitioners to upscale their practice, creatively shift from the traditional modes of doing things, and catch up with developing trends in the digital space for optimal benefit to themselves, organizations and the wider humanity. The paper argued that this can only be for professionals who were curious and ready to widen their coast of knowledge through learning and participation in the multiple avenues and opportunities available in the ever expanding and expansive technology-driven world of the 21st century. 

In that case, the paper posits, practitioners must be conscious of their content and the available channels for maximization of gains and must avoid total dependence on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that “is not humanistic but is garbage in, garbage out. Content should be solution-focused rather than dwell on nudity and other banalities. The presenter encouraged content creators to learn from the quality of contents from places like China and the likes “that are aimed at solving providing innovations and trending pressing needs discovered through research by good content creators. Go for atomization, which means doing things better for better outcomes”. 

In the second paper entitled, “Media Professionals Application of ICT and Positive Social Impact in the Society”, Dr. Udeme Nana, who is the founder of Uyo Book Club, anchored his thesis on philosophical theories of Emmanuel’s Kant’s Deontology; The Primacy of the Individual by Aristotle; and Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism. The paper queried the attitude and lure of youths into profanity and disregards for traditional values because of the social media, which in turn “influences the way we dress, what we eat, and what we do”. The paper identified available tools like E-mail, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Istagram, WhatsApp; Blogs; Podcast, etc, and warned users not to become “digi-idiots” or “digital idiots”. “It is a challenge therefore to use those digital tools optimally, ethically and responsibly for the benefit of the society”, it surmised. 

 The third paper presented by Dr. Abasifreke Idiong centred on the subject of “objectivity” in news reporting. He argued vehemently that there can be no absolute objectivity in reportage because every reporter has feelings and slants he wants a story to follow. “Because of harsh economic realities in the country, everyone tilts towards where one can have the next meal. This has greatly influenced reportage, especially during elections” The paper recommended civic or public journalism rather than citizen journalism.

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman on the occasion and eminent scholar and teacher, Professor Des Wilson, poured encomiums on Senator Ekong Sampson foe being a good representative in thinking first of what to do and impact positively on constituents. “This intellectual seminar is expected to add value to whatever you are doing in building your capacity in fast changing world and the use ICT. I believe the purpose of this seminar is right and timely. In any of the professions, you need to have continual training and retraining o update your knowledge for optimal productivity.  This seminar shall help answer the question of how we are performing, whether or not we are doing the right thing, in the face of citizenship journalism where everybody wants to or claims to be a journalist. Here, the issue of ethics and values comes into play”. 

Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of Certificate of Participation to participants. Present also were  Strategic team of the Training Committee, Barr. Ini Ikot, DG  of Campaign and former PDP Deputy Chairman, Sir  Michael Essang, State Officer of PDP and Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Oron branch, Engr. Dr. Ben Edenseting, Media Aide to the Senator, Mr. Samuel Udoma, among others.