Delta Pension boss tasks journalists on balanced reportage
Asaba. Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, Chairman, Delta Delta State Bureau for Pension has tasked journalists to be objective in their reportage.
Ogidi-Gbegbaje, gave the charge when he received on courtesy, executives and members of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Monday in Asaba.
He noted that the social media has turned every concern to pen pushers which has given aid to quackery and portends danger to journalism as a profession.
He said that if the trend was not checked or countered by the main stream media, people would lose confidence in the noble profession.
According to him, journalists must crosscheck their facts and ensure proper balancing of their reports before going to the press.
He said that most social media reports been churned out daily on various platforms should provide a lead for the conventional media to go in, investigate and come up with a balanced report to rebuild already battered public confidence on the media.
He said, “Journalism is an import part of the society. Journalists are expected to speak the truth, and ensure balanced reporting at all times, fight for the rights and privileges of the ordinary citizenry.
“We live in a society where social media seem to have taken everything and to rule our daily lives more than ever before but journalists have a role to play, this is because most of the stories found in social media are usually not factual.
He said though regrettably most social media handlers were out to make money through sensational and character assassination publications.
” But when a professional journalists does his work, there is always a balancing as all facts will be represented but unfortunately quacks have threaten the profession.
“As journalists, you have an important role to play to ensure that the quacks who have crept into the profession do not destroy the good image and reputation of Journalists.
On pension, Ogidi-Gbegbaje, said that the Bureau has ensured that the state retirees would not have to spend years before getting their pension and retirement benefits.
He said regrettably there could be allegation of fraud against our officials, adding that journalist should investigate and establish that fact before publishing their reports.
He said, ” Nobody is expected to pay a dime to access his pension benefits in the state.
“Anybody who pays money to anyone, for the sake of his or her benefits to be processed, the person is acting on his own. Such person does not have the instruction of the bureau to do so.”
Earlier, the Chairman, Asaba Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, said that the visit was to congratulate the Chairman on his appointment.
“Primarily, we are here to congratulate you on your appointment and we urge you to deploy that determination and zeal that we have known you for into ensuring prompt payment of the retirement benefits and pension to retirees of the state workforce.
“We have observed with nostalgia the pains retirees go through in the country, Delta not exempted, while trying to access their pension. More worrisome is that many have died without accessing their benefits due to delay occasioned by bureaucracy in government.
The controversies with the new contributory pension that has to do with harmonisation and computation of accrual benefits have been the challenge of retirees of the new scheme.
In fact, most retirees under the contributory pension scheme had wished they retired under the old scheme because of the meager gratuity and monthly pension they get compared to that of the old scheme.
But more disturbing is that because of the delay in payment of pension as most retirees stay five years or more before receiving their pension, the retirees die without enjoying the fruit of their labour.
We are not, however, unmindful of the commitment of His Excellency, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori, who immediately extend his magnanimity by releasing certain amount running into billions of naira to ensure the payment of pension arrears for state and local government workers as soon as he stepped into office.
We also have no doubt that in line with the Governor’s M.O.R.E Agenda, and with you, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje on the saddle as the Chairman, State Bureau for Pension, state workers are in for a fair and equitable deal as retirees of the state government would have no cause to worry.
While we congratulate you on your new but demanding appointment, we urge you to remain committed to delivering the dividends of democracy in order to put smiles on the faces of state retirees to enable them live longer by ensuring prompt payment of their retirement benefits and pension.
It has ,therefore, become necessary to partner with you to further deepen the Gov. Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E. Agenda geared towards addressing the old age issues relating to pension and retirees challenge in the state. End.
