By Praise Chinecherem
Senator representing Anambra South senatorial district, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah has rewarded about twelve WhatsApp handlers with cash and material gifts for their hard work and dedication to their responsibilities.
Ubah made the presentation at the weekend in Nnewi during a free refresher course workshop for over 120 media experts from public sectors and academics organised by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communication, Mr Kamen Ogbonna, under the Ubah Nation Media Center.
He said the media structure was being groomed as a veritable platform to help in information dissemination, challenging media experts to work harder to improve on their use of social media to propagate his agenda anchored on quality representation and welfare of his constituents.
He also urged the participants to cover lapses in Twitter and Instagram which he said were very much needed to disseminate information on the activities of his campaign team.
He said, “We should be able to use Twitter and Instagram to propagate our agenda. We must have a Twitter group so that we will not be lacking. We will be reporting our activities.
“Our presence is felt in every ward of the senatorial district. We are rich in content and these things should be reported.”
According to Ubah, his political move was not about himself but for the interest of the suffering masses, stressing that he always felt satisfied when he attended to the welfare of his constituents.
“My greatest preoccupation remains to ensure adequate democracy dividends for my people,” he added.
One of the resource persons, Dr. Justin Nwankwo who spoke on the theme, “Social Media Influencing as a veritable career option”, described social media as a new way of interaction which had helped people to express their opinions, insisting that it had come to stay.
Nwankwo, a senior lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko also told the participants that social media would enable the influencers create and share ideas without being censored as done in the traditional media.
He cited business promotion, political propaganda, connection, social reintegration, entertainment, among others as some of the benefits of the social or new media.
“Social media reach large audience. But its disadvantages include cyber bullying, hacking and as a medium to spread fake news. Don’t spread fake news. Always verify information with relevant authorities before dissemination,” he said.
On his part, Mr Ebuka Onyekwelu spoke on issues about reporting elections, urging the participants to always report from the field and to report the truth.
He said it was the duty of the social media influencers to educate the electorate on the proper way to vote and how to protect their votes.
“You should watch your conduct. You shouldn’t tell lies to favour any politician including your principal. You have to report any development to the situation room. Be ready to present your evidence and that’s why you should record your clients, ” he told them.
Earlier, the convener of the workshop, Mr Kamen Ogbonna said the training was targeted at training Senator Ubah’s media team and to develop young minds to enable them open their horizons as social media is the in-thing now.
“There’s need for them to develop their potential and exploit the opportunity offered by the social media preparatory to 2023 election.
“Senator Ubah has army of progressive minds who are the lovers of the Senator. They are ready to champion anything Ifeanyi Ubah. You can’t take it away from them.
“It’s not about money but about the love they have for the distinguished Senator who had touched many lives positively in the senatorial district and beyond, ” Ogbonna posited.
