The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has called on journalists to prioritise making political manifestos central to election coverage, emphasising the need to hold political office holders accountable to their campaign promises.
According to a statement shared on the agency’s official X handle, Issa-Onilu stated this while speaking at the 9th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos.
The statement disclosed that the NOA boss decried the media’s focus on sensationalism over substance, noting that manifestos shape governance and democratic outcomes.
He revealed that President Tinubu’s campaign manifesto took months to craft and reflects his reform-driven vision anchored on technology.
Also, during the event, the keynote speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari called for sincerity and strategic planning in bridging campaign promises with governance realities, while Chief Bode George urged leaders to utilise national resources for citizens’ benefit.
Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika commended journalists for promoting accountability and stressed the role of social media in demanding transparency.
Outgoing GOCOP President, Maureen Chigbo, expressed gratitude for members’ support, highlighting the Guild’s growth and professionalism. She urged the new executives to sustain GOCOP’s credibility and uphold journalistic ethics.
