The Governor of Enugu state, Peter Mbah has described the Late Senator Anyim Ude as a disciplined statesman, who lived his life for the unity and progress of Nigeria.
Mbah stated this on Thursday at the memorial lecture of Sen. Anyim Ude, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Enugu.
The governor said that the late Journalist and Broadcaster was a revered personality during his lifetime.
Mbah who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, urged Journalists in the state to tow the footsteps of the late Ude by practicing their profession with truth.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi, Mrs Patricia Obima, commended the NUJ for honouring their own.
She promised the family of the Late Anyim Ude that the government of Ebonyi where he hailed from will not abandon them.
The guest lecturer, Mr Olu Akpata, former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who delivered a lecture on the topic: “Freedom of the press, fake news and the rule of law” said there was a need for Journalists in the country to live up to their responsibilities, especially in the area of investigative Journalism.
He said that the socio-economic crisis in the country today demanded the intervention of Journalists, Lawyers and organised Labour.
The former NBA boss said there was a closer relationship between Journalists and lawyers as vanguards of society.
“There is a need for a healthy relationship between Lawyers and Journalists for Nigeria to move forward,” Akpata said.
He decried the lack of investigative Journalism and the takeover of media space by untrained citizen journalists who mastermind “fake news.”
Many important dignitaries including former Minister of Information, Chief Nnia Nwodo, and Prof. Elochukwu Amuchiazi all attended the memorial lecture.
In his response, the eldest son of the late Sen. Anyim Ude, Mr Nnana Ude, thanked the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ for honouring his late father.
He said that in appreciation, that the family has instituted a N1 million award for the best investigative journalist in the state annually.
Dominica Nwabufo
