The Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, has reiterated the need for media practitioners to play the role of partners in progress with government on policies and programmes aimed at making life better for Nigerians.
The Minister who stated this on Wednesday while receiving on a courtesy visit, some officers of the Transport and Aviation Correspondents Association in his office in Abuja said, the fourth estate of the realm has a key and patriotic role to play in Nation building.
Adegoroye, who said the Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Mu’azu Jaji Sambo and himself have enjoyed a reasonable level of support from the media since their assumption of office, added that sustaining such level of support would be of immense benefit to the Ministry.
The minister in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, said, “It is important for those of us in government to maintain a productive relationship with those of you in the media because of the crucial duties your profession has bestowed on you to perform. We must continue to be partners in progress for the good of our Nation.
“I do not make undue criticism of the media because I understand what journalists go through to do their job. I know the challenges you face daily and the sacrifices you make on the job and you must appreciate the dignity of your profession.
“Of course, Alhaji Sambo and I have a short period to spend here before the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration but we both want to leave an indelible mark here and we invite you to support us in making that happen”, Adegoroye said.
The Minister said he has taken note of and will put into consideration the demands of the journalists on improving the existing relationship with the Ministry, stressing that suggestions and inputs of the media practitioners would always be welcome and appreciated.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Abuja Transport and Aviation Correspondents Association (ATACA), Mr. Chris Agabi, said the visit was to congratulate and welcome Adegoroye to the Transport Ministry and to establish a working relationship with the Minister and his team.
Agabi, who said members of the association are willing to support the Minister and add value to his activities, added that such working relationship would go a long way in bridging the gap between the government and the governed.
