Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, has described the media as an indispensable entity in the institution of the rule of law and good governance in society.
The governor stated this on Friday at a retreat organised by the Niger State Government for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps, held at the Haske Luxury Hotel in Minna.
He said that without the media, the desired checks and balances in government will be a mirage and that democracy cannot thrive because the people's voices will be gagged, adding that although the legislature carries out the oversight function, the media plays a dual role in oversight and reporting to the public.
The governor, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, said he had a robust relationship with the media while at the National Assembly, as the criticism from the media kept him on his toes and spurred him to do more for his constituents and the nation.
"Let me state without equivocation that I am not averse to objective media criticisms because they helped in bringing out the best in me," he added.
Governnor Bago observed that the retreat could not have come at a better time as it precedes the first Green Economy Summit in Nigeria to be hosted by Niger State in a few days and that the theme of the retreat, "The role of the media in mainstreaming climate change policies," was critical to the summit, adding that whatever will be discussed and the resolutions reached during the summit, if the media did not convey them to the public, the aim of the summit would be defeated.
He observed that some of the issues on climate change were underreported by the media because they were not adequately equipped to handle such issues, believing that the retreat will offer an opportunity for the members of the legislative press to be well informed on how to set agendas for the legislature and the executive on the issue of climate change.
"I hope that at the end of this retreat, you will all be better positioned to inform, educate, and enlighten society on the implications of climate change," said the governor.
Earlier, the Chairman, House of Representatives Press Corps, Ms. Grace Ike, appreciated Governor Umar Bago for being the first to host the press corps training workshop since the return of democracy in 1999, adding that the workshop was the first of its kind.
She commended the governor for being a transformative leader who had keyed into the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration and his plan to host the Green Economy Summit.
In their separate remarks, the state commissioners for environment and climate change and information and strategy, Alhaji Yakubu Kolo and Hon. Binta Mamman, urged the participants to report on climate change to get information to the grassroots.