The Executive Director of Social Services in the Board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief Favour Izoukumor, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Commission's office in Warri, Delta State, played host to members of the Ijaw Publishers Forum, IPF, a professional body of Ijaw-owned media practitioners in the state.

Chief Izoukumor, who was a former commissioner in the state intervention agency before his recent appointment as ED, while receiving his guests promise that the commission will not hesitate to play its roles in supporting the growth of the IPF.

Earlier, the chairman of IPF, Comrade Ozobo Austin, on behalf of the body congratulated the ED of Social Services and presented an official letter in that regard while commending Chief Izoukumor for his well-deserved appointment.

Speaking during a brief presentation, Comrade Ozobo reeled out lists of demands of IPF on the Commission. The demands include the creation of a working synergy between the Commission and Ijaw media organisations for publicity and proper information dissemination as well as sponsorship, support and empowerment of members of the body towards its growth.

In his response, Chief Izoukumor thanked the professional body of media practitioners for congratulating him and also commended them for the roles they have been playing through the media in sensitizing the general public, and especially being in the forefront of nonviolence struggle for a better deal in the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta region at large.

The ED of Social Services further urged the media practitioners to be apolitical always, just as he promised to look into the demands of the IPF, with the assurance that the Commission is ready to contribute its quota to the body's growth.

Among the media practitioners in attendance during the official visit are: Comr. Ozobo Austin of Congress Newspaper, Francis Abai of PENGlobal, Mingo Friday of Egbema Voice, Oyinbi Onduku of Niger Delta Mirror, MMD Tamsokunbiri of Kpakam TV, Anthony Demebide of Ultimate Report Nigeria, Tamaraupreye Ekpegha of South South Daily, and Bibaikefie Peres of Iduwini Voice.

The IPF umbrella has membership cut across the states of Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and others, with key objectives of unifying Ijaw publishers, building formidable Ijaw media outfits, promoting Ijaw activities, refining priorities and support for each other, creating nonviolence awareness and revolutionizing Ijaw quest for resource control and self-determination.

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