BY Ita Williams, Calabar
Gov. Bassey Otu
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu has urged the young people to always use social media responsibly to shape a positive image of the state.
The governor made the statement on Monday when the National Youth Council of Nigeria, (NYCN), Cross River State Council visited in his office to present him with the Grand Patron of Youth award.
The governor acknowledged that while social media is a powerful tool for sharing information, it is also being misused by young people to spread misinformation, rumors, and fake news.
In his words, the governor said, “usage of social media in information dissemination helps people stay connected and share ideas, thoughts, and opinions with others in a safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are common challenges confronting us through the platform. Social media is filled with a large amount of misinformation, which often misleads the public to make wrong decisions, stimulates negative public emotions, and poses serious threats to public safety and social order”
“The youths, a primary arm of the society is the driving force on social media, and we have witnessed how misinformation from this sector has caused various problems to the society”
The governor further stated, “as a government, we are concerned about reshaping the usage of this platform for the benefit of government and to foster productive development. I charge you to use social media to promote useful information aimed at developing the society and supporting the government”
“The youths represent the greatest segment of government. If you don’t build and mentor the youths, there is no future. As a government, we cannot rise without your maximum cooperation. We will support the youths in all sectors and frontiers. We are starting by training over 2, 000 youths in ICT. We will continue to work with the youths to develop the state,” the governor stressed.
In his part, the State Chapter Chairman of NYCN, Comrade Dan Obo, commended Governor Otu for his developmental efforts so far in his 100 days in office, particularly for creating opportunities for a large number of youths under his administration.
“We are here to celebrate you, we are excited with the way the state is running and want to thank you for the engagements of youths in your cabinet. We are confident of the successes that await Cross River State in the coming days under your leadership,” Comrade Obo maintained.
