By Roseline Etukudo
Spurred by its commitment to transparency and good governance in Akwa Ibom, the Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Practitioners(AESDMP) has inaugurated A Good Governance Project Tour Committee to monitor projects executed by Local Government Chairmen and Representatives in the State and National Assembly from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District
The committee was inaugurated by the Chairman of ESDMP, Elder Edet Okpo at the end of A-Three-Day Symposium on the theme: Communication Dynamics and Corporate Governance in Akwa Ibom State, organised by the association in collaboration with the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, University of Uyo, at Eden’s Hotel in Eket LGA from 27th to 28th June,2025.
Elder Okpo also mandated the Committee to assess the transparency in the utilisation of funds so far released from the Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA) Host Community Trust Fund and the tangible effect on the host communities across the Senatorial District
The Akwa Ibom State South Senatorial District consists of Eastern Obolo, Eket, Esit Eket, Ibiono, Ikot Abasi, Mbok, Mkpat Enin, Ikono, ONNA, Oron, Udung Uko and Urue-Offong/Oruko
The Chairman of the committee, Comrade Bassey Anthony, who is also the Chairman of Correspondents Chapel, NUJ, assured members of his committee’s commitment to actualising the task.
The three-day symposium, which featured presentations by media professionals, scholars and industry players, ended with the issuance of a 13-point communique
*THE COMMUNIQUE*
A COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A THREE-DAY SYMPOSIUM ON THE THEME: COMMUNICATION DYNAMICS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN AKWA IBOM STATE,
ORGANIZED BY ASSOCIATION OF EKET SENATORIAL DISTRICT MEDIA PROFESSIONALS (ESDMP), IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF UYO HELD AT EDEN HOTELS, EKET.
The three-day symposium, which featured presentations by media professionals, scholars and industry players, ended with the following key resolutions:
1. The symposium emphasised that effective Communication is critical to promoting transparency, accountability, and corporate responsiveness in the oil and gas sector, hence the need for media professionals to play their roles effectively.
2. The symposium identified gaps in CSR Implementation plans and real impacts on host communities, leading to persistent underdevelopment and tensions.
3. As part of community engagement, the symposium urged oil companies to institutionalise participatory communication platforms to reflect local priorities.
4. The 3-day event believes that media inclusion or integration into CSR and corporate governance processes by oil companies, government and other multinationals will foster transparency and accountability.
5. The meeting of media professionals agreed that CSR Projects must shift from short-term, tokenistic gestures to long-term development interventions in education, health, technology, youth development, and environmental protection.
6. The intellectual discourse resolved that regulatory oversight must be strengthened to ensure compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and global CSR best practices.
7. The symposium insists that Capacity Building in digital journalism, cybersecurity, and AI tools are imperative for media practitioners to effectively monitor corporate conduct.
8. Government Communication Strategy for economic diversification should be inclusive and participatory, with the media playing a central mobilisation and sensitisation role.
9. Journalists are also mandated to know the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, 2021, which provides a new legal framework that guarantees host communities’ involvement in what they get from oil companies. Such awareness will help media professionals to hold the Host Communities Development Trust and other cadres of leadership at that level accountable.
10. On the Akwa Ibom economy beyond oil, the meeting called on the state government to continue with the diversification policy initiated by the past administrations to ensure that the state has an alternative source of revenue earnings away from oil.
11. The symposium also encouraged journalists not to see journalism as a tea party but to be determined to engage in interventionist journalism, regardless of inherent challenges.
12. On the application of Artificial Intelligence in Media practice for corporate governance, the meeting made a case for international development partners, donors and government to support the creation of regional AI innovation hubs for local media organisations.
13. The leadership of the media professionals, which earned plaudits for excellent performance, inaugurated a Good Governance Tour Committee with the mandate to commence monitoring of projects executed by the twelve local government councils and legislators in Akwa Ibom South senatorial District as well as the performance of PIA in host communities.
COMMUNIQUE DRAFTING COMMITTEE.
Mfon Uyeh
Chairman.
Florence Umoetuk.
Solomon Okpo
Edet Edet
Roseline Etukudo
Members.
Paulinus Nta,
Secretary
Professor Herbert Batta,
Adviser.
