The Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Lagos State, Hon Muslim Oloruntele Folami has charged community media practitioners in Lagos State to embrace professionalism, integrity and factual reporting in the discharge of their duties ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Hon Folami stated this while delivering his goodwill message at a 2-Day Workshop for Community Media Practitioners in Lagos State. The workshop with the theme, Strategic Communication: A Tool For Media Networking and Community Relations was held between 27th to 28th December, 2018 at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

Speaking on the inclusive nature of the current Lagos State Government, under the administration of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Hon Folami noted that the training workshop for community media practitioners in the state was a clear demonstration of the commitment of the incumbent Lagos State to inclusive governance.

‘We have a government that is sensitive and listens to the yearnings of the people. When we took over in 2015, we inherited 2, 000 community development associations, but as at today, Lagos State boasts of at least 4,000 community development associations’, he noted.

Admonishing community media practitioners on integrity and factual reporting, Hon Folami noted that, ‘When you report credibility, you will be respected. But, if you report negativity, you become a nuisance. This is the season of politics and there will be a lot of lies flying about. You just be very careful so that you don’t damage your career’, he advised.

Hon Folami also stressed that, since every politics is local, most of the political activities will be taking place at the grassroots, with community media houses saddled with the responsibility to report them to the general public.

He concluded by charging participants to leverage on the resources made available to them at the 2-day training to improve on their practice.

The 2-Day Workshop with the theme, Strategic Communication: A Tool For Media Networking and Community Relations which held between 27th to 28th December, 2018 at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos was attended by over 160 community media practitioners across the state.

Omo’ba ‘Peju Akinyemi, Founder & CEO Ikorodu Oga Radio (M), flanked by Japhet Odesanya, Publisher, The Factor News Magazine (R) and Shakiru Seidu, Publisher, Mega Expressions Magazine and other Community Media Practitioners at the Workshop