The supervising Minister of Information, Edem Duke, has alleged of a plot by a section of the foreign media to put Nigeria in bad light.
He stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while inaugurating the newly appointed Director General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Sampson Worlu.
Mr. Duke, who is also the minister of culture, noted that many people around the world depend on western media for information about Nigeria which most times do not represent the authentic story.
Stating that VON is the flagship of Nigeria’s communication to the world, the minister charged Mr. Worlu and the management of the organisation to ensure the sustenance and improve on the tempo of reportage of the nation to the international community.
He also charged the new DG to approach his duty with the spirit of team work and comradeship so that VON would be in a position to positively change the narrative of Nigeria and convey the truth about the nation to international audience including Nigerians in the Diaspora.
In his response, Mr. Worlu said VON is and will continue to be the authentic platform to project Nigeria.
“We have suffered for too long of waiting for other people report us,” he said. “It will be part of my duty to ensure that we tell the Nigerian story by ourselves.”
The DG promised to see that VON is pushed up and to make the organisation the real and authentic source of news about Nigeria by integrating the new media into what is already being done.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on March 4 approved the appointment of Mr. Worlu as the new Director General of VON following the retirement of Abubakar Jijiwa who had held sway in the organisation for 10 year.
Until the appointment, the new VON DG had served in various critical and strategic positions.
A first class graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, Mr. Worlu, who hails from River State, once served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Economic and Strategic Matter between 2010 and 2011. He had served as Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Economics and Bi-National Matters between 2009 and 2010.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Worlu, 55, was Minister-Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Nigeria, Rome, Italy, having served in the same embassy as minister counsellor from 2003 to 2005. Before this time, he was speech writer and head of public relations, Office of the First Lady from 1999 to 2003.
The new DG has been decorated and honoured with dozens of awards for his boldness, diligence, commitment and patriotism some of which include Director General’s Award for Exemplary Service, 2002; Director General’s Award for Dedication, Discipline and Courage, 2003; Special Presidential Commendation for Meritorious Service to Motherland among several others.
