Social Media advocacy and support groups rooting for the re-election of the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, have been tasked to be factual in their online engagements.

The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the charge during a courtesy visit by the Diri/Law Online Media Supporters (DLOMS) at his office in Government House, Yenagoa on Tuesday.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor called on the group to take the lead on the social media space by setting the agenda of discourse for others to follow, as well as ensure timely reportage of policies and programmes of the state government.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who expressed appreciation to DLOMS for their courage and determination for volunteering to do what they have been doing without any promptings from any quarters, urged them to remain steadfast in carrying out a grassroots-based campaigns.
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He pointed out that a large percentage of the voters’ population in Bayelsa, most of whom have no access to social media, reside in the rural areas, stressing that the situation calls for a one on one interaction on the achievements of the present administration.

The Bayelsa Number Two Man reminded them that there was a thin line between press freedom and defamation, hence the need for them not to join issues with those who distort facts, but rather stick to the facts and drive their media engagements on safe ground.

His words: “We want to thank you for your courage, doggedness, and support, without anyone prompting you. Your task has just begun.

“As we inch closer to the election, our mobilization and campaigns will be grassroots-driven. Everyone must go down to their own communities and deliver their respective polling units for our party.

“More than 70 percentage of voters in Bayelsa, especially in the rural areas don’t have access to Facebook, and other social media platforms, so you must recalibrate your campaign strategy to have one on one interpersonal engagement.”

“We urge you to stand by our party, the Peoples Democratic Party and its flagbearer, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, in the forthcoming election.

“I want you to be guided by the fact that there is a very thin line between press freedom and defamation. Therefore, I urge you to stand by the sacred facts all the way. Take the lead on the social media by setting the agenda for social discourse, and by timely reporting government programmes and activities.”

In his presentation earlier, the State Coordinator of the Diri/Law Online Media Supporters, Comrade Clement Ovokeroye Paul, said the online support group had been formed primarily for mobilization of support for the Governor and Deputy Governor’s re-election.

Mr Paul, who congratulated the two leaders for emerging as flagbearers of the PDP gubernatorial ticket for the November 11 Governorship Election in Bayelsa, said the membership of the DLOMS was drawn from the 105 political wards in the state to drum up grassroots support for the party.

He noted that the various infrastructural development projects successfully executed by the Prosperity Administration like the three senatorial roads, phase two of the New Yenagoa Gateway Road, the Ernest Ikoli Meda Complex, among several other projects and programmes, serve as loud campaign messages for the incumbent leadership.