By Chioma Onuegbu

Uyo—Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Aniekan Uko, has urged practicing journalists in the state to always uphold the ethical and professional conducts by carrying out their duties including sustaining the Nigerian democracy.

Declaring open a two-day workshop on “Professionalism, Media Ethics and Responsibility in Sustaining Democracy and Deepening Oil and Gas Operations Reportage’ organised by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited for journalists, Uko said that the society appreciates a better and vibrant media that is responsive to the sustenance of democracy.

He said that since assumption of office that he has not been encouraged by the reports on the state, adding that one of the essence of democracy was for the media to support governments visions and programmes.

His words, “Since my assumption in office as Speaker I must confess that I have not been encouraged by the reports I read in the pages of Newspapers, especially those published in the state. It does not really paint a good picture of our state to the outside world considering the fact that a greater number of these stories are out rightly false and misleading.”