• Agediga says allowing others tell Ijaw story risks shaping their destiny
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• Calls media a tool for advocacy, resistance and empowerment
• Decries poverty and underdevelopment in oil-rich Ijaw communities
Chairman of the inauguration ceremony of the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF) Second National Executive Council, Ambassador Shedrack Agediga, has urged Ijaw media practitioners to take deliberate control of their narrative, warning that allowing others to tell their story amounts to surrendering their future.
Agediga, who also serves as Chairman of the Delta State Scholarship and Bursary Board, made the call while addressing dignitaries and stakeholders at the inauguration ceremony of the forum.
According to him, when others tell the story of a people, they define their reality, stressing that the media is not only a tool for communication but also a strategic platform for resistance, advocacy and empowerment.
He described himself as a beneficiary of the Niger Delta struggle and emphasised the need for practical emancipation of the region.
READ ALSO: Delta Board Chairman, Dr. Agediga To Chair IPF New Leadership Inauguration Feb 26
Agediga lamented that many oil-rich Ijaw communities continue to face poverty, environmental degradation and poor infrastructure despite decades of oil exploration.
He explained that genuine emancipation must cover political, economic, environmental and cultural development, adding that controlling the narrative is essential for the progress of the Ijaw people.
The ceremony attracted traditional rulers, community leaders and stakeholders from across the Niger Delta, highlighting the importance of the gathering.
He stressed that the Ijaw people must become the authors of their own story in order to build a just and prosperous future.