Uduaghan Decries Negative Use Of Social Media, Says It Promotes Rumor Mongering, Propaganda

FROM LEFT:  COMMANDANT, NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE (NDC), REAR-ADM.   PATRICK AGHOLOR; GOV.EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN OF DELTA; DEPUTY COMMANDANT, NDC,  MAJ.-GEN. ADENIYI OYEBADE AND MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REP. NDUDI  ELUMELU, AT  A LECTURE ON LEADERSHIP AND INTERACTION FOR    PARTICIPANTS OF COURSE 22 AT NDC IN ABUJA ON MONDAY (10/2/14).
FROM LEFT: COMMANDANT, NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE (NDC), REAR-ADM.
PATRICK AGHOLOR; GOV.EMMANUEL UDUAGHAN OF DELTA; DEPUTY COMMANDANT, NDC,
MAJ.-GEN. ADENIYI OYEBADE AND MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REP. NDUDI
ELUMELU, AT A LECTURE ON LEADERSHIP AND INTERACTION FOR
PARTICIPANTS OF COURSE 22 AT NDC IN ABUJA ON MONDAY (10/2/14).

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said rumor mongering and propaganda through the use of social media sites like facebook, twitter, blogs and online media platforms impedes good governance.

The governor spoke when he delivered a lecture on “Leadership: My Personal Experience”, to the participants of course 22 at the National Defence College in Abuja.

According to him, “Social media has created an easy platform for the worst kind of rumor mongering and propaganda”.

Governor Uduaghan argued that leaders are often distracted by “rumour mongering, propaganda and destructive criticism”.

He noted that obstacles challenging the efforts of his administration on its ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ initiative to diversify the state economy from its over dependence on crude oil has been rumor mongering.

The governor further stated that rumor mongering and propaganda worsened the Niger Delta militant crisis, as much of it was sustained by rumors.

He explained that, “ I had to enter the creeks to gain the confidence of militants and deal with rumors that was making the crisis worse”, adding that, “sometimes the battles you are fighting is because someone has spread a rumor”.

He added that only transparency in leadership and proper communication of information can dispel unnecessary rumor mongering, saying “lack of information gives room for rumors”.

Uduaghan listed some of the achievements of his administration in Delta State to include reforms in the transportation sector; road construction, free maternal health care, free child health care for children under 5 years and free primary and secondary school education.