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Speech by GLCSMS CEO Milton E. Akwam at the 3rd Annual Media Conference

(Last Updated On: 24 October 2020)

The Conference took place at Garden Inn Guest House, Lira City on 23 Oct 2020.

The Chief Guest, The Minister of State for Northern Uganda

H.E The Ambassador of Uganda to United Kingdom and Ireland (joining us via zoom)

Director General Health Services, Ministry of Health

Our Keynote Speaker, State Minister for ICT & NG

Lango Parliamentary Group Vice Chairperson

Resident District Commissioners

LC5 Chairpersons

Our Inaugural Chief Guest, AMC 2016

International Women Peace Group (South Korea) (joining us via zoom)

Media Managers, News Editors and Journalists

Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, I am very, very happy to see all of you; others for the first time and others on many occasions. Welcome to the 3rd Annual Media Conference.

Madam Chief Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, today’s conference shows indeed that without you, we the organisers of this very important conference cannot progress, and I want to pay tribute to each one of us who have made it possible to remember this day.

During the 2019 conference, many topics were discussed and today’s theme was recommended by some of the participants who attended that successful event.

Dear Chief Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, Great Lakes Centre for Strategic Media Studies (GLCSMS) was founded in April 2018 and obtained a Certificate of Incorporation on 16, May 2018. The organisation is a not-for-profit independent media organisation and alongside its subsidiary, TND News, we are regulated by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

GLCSMS was founded to fulfil key objectives, among some of them: building the capacity of media houses and journalists in the region, engaging different stakeholders through conferences, dialogue; promoting ethical journalism, research, among others.

Our Chief Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, GLCSMS and its subsidiary digital newspaper, TND News remain committed and will continue to advocate for media support from relevant government agencies, private partners: both local, national and international so that media and journalists in this region continues to do great journalistic work, above all, serving humanity with truth.

I am happy to announce that media houses and their journalists in northern Uganda have done a tremendous job from the first time the country reported its first case of Covid-19 and to date, they remain committed by informing the populations of the dangers of coronavirus. In my opinion, I think Uganda has ‘won’ the fight against Covid-19 more than our neighbours because of media resilience and government support.

Like their colleagues in the different regions of the country, media houses in northern Uganda should be applauded by government for making it possible to contain the pandemic via numerous news broadcast, spot messages, and I am happy further that the Ministry of Health responded to our invitation to engage media today, and she is ably represented by Dr Henry Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, Senior Public Relations Officer in the Ministry, among other guests.

In this conference, let me thank Dr Henry Mwebesa, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine and the entire Ministry team and health workers in Uganda for their selfless efforts, love and dedication in containing this deadly pandemic.

Equally, allow me to extend the same recognitions to the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance Ministers: Hon. Judith Nabakooba and Hon. Peter Ogwang. The latter will issue the Keynote Address; both Ministers have been working with different media houses in the country, and Northern Uganda when Covid-19 first case was reported in March 2020, to date.

The ICT & NG Ministry, with guidance from the Ministry of Health, also guided the country on what should be done, and not in containing the virus. This has been done several times by Hon. Minister Judith Nabakooba while issuing press statements.

Our Chief Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to state that as we head to the 2021 general polls, media is a key player. Like i said before, from March to date, media is reporting about COVID-19 and different measures put by government to contain it, and the same media is also reporting about elections, primarily.

The two events are not concomitant, but they are very important for media to put emphasis on. It’s on this premise that I beseech government agencies like the police, army and the electoral commission, including the judiciary to respect media houses and journalists doing broadcast on political and electoral events.

Reports say during electioneering period up to polling days, many media houses are clamped, journalists harassed, beaten and others arrested by security agents. In this conference, let me pray the 2021 general elections which has commenced with different political activities this year will not see media being disrupted and freedom of press and expression interfered with.

According to International Press Institute (IPI), it says: “Uganda’s forthcoming elections put journalists under threat.”

The same IPI further says, and I quote: “Last year a poll found that while 70% of Ugandans believed the media should be able to report freely, only 37% trusted election-related coverage.”

Our Chief Guest, Keynote Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen, our very own Ugandan veteran journalist, Robert Ssempala of HRNJ, whom we all know, for advocating for the freedom of press, journalists’ rights, among others, told IPI: “…the upcoming vote has intensified the “undue pressures and direct interference” that journalists experience from Uganda’s government.”

I am more happy that Hon Minister Peter Ogwang whose Ministry supervises media activities in this country is here, and I hope he will talk to us about media’s roles during elections, but above all, how media houses and its journalists will be safe from now up to 2021.

When we supress media, we are denying the population information and news they should receive. We should say NO to media clampdown but, I also want to urge media houses and journalists to be accurate, truthful and balanced in all their reporting on elections. Let’s protect ourselves against preventable circumstances.

Towards the end of this year, we are hopeful GLCSMS and partners will organise a training for at least 30 journalists across the two regions of Northern and Eastern Uganda on elections and Health coverage. We invite the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Ministry of Health and other development partners to be part of this important training.

Some of our programs commencing later this year and next year (2021)

  1. Annual Media Conference

Started in 2016 by GLCSMS, the conference brings together journalists and prominent dignitaries to deliberate on a selected conference theme, and other issues of development in northern Uganda. (Details on our Website: glcsms.org)

  1. Real Story Awards (RSA)

Our new initiative, Real Story Awards (RSA) seeks to recognize and reward exceptional journalists & media houses in Lango sub region and greater northern Uganda. (Details on our Website: glcsms.org)

  1. North Editors Guild (NEG)

It was started to support and enhance the capacity of news editors and media managers across Lango, Acholi and West Nile sub-regions through retraining every after three months in Lira, Gulu and Arua Cities. (Details on our Website: glcsms.org)

  1. Media & Capacity Building Trainings (MCBT)

MCBT gives opportunities to both news editors, journalists and researchers to undergo our week-long trainings on selected relevant topics. (Details on our Website: glcsms.org)

On behalf of the organisation team, I would like to request different media houses, journalists and stakeholders in the region to support our initiative and sacrifices as we yearn to make a better media that can be supported and respected both locally, nationally and internationally.

As I conclude, Our Chief Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you our Inaugural Chief Guest of our 2016 Media Conference, the then Deputy RDC of Lira, Mr Emmanuel Mwaka Lutukumoi. Mr Mwaka, during his time in Lira district as Deputy RDC and RDC, was a media ally. He helped media to get information they needed, and together, media exposed some corrupt officials. He mentored some of us and I want to wish him well as he contest for MP, Gulu City East Division.

Finally, I want to thank all of you for coming, and I wish all of us a happy deliberation and a safe journey back home at the end.

For God and My Country.

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