By Kenneth Ohiri and Ngozi Maduoma

The Primate of all Nigeria the Most Revd Nicholas D. Okoh said that gagging media houses with unverified information was not in the nation's best interests. He made this statement while delivering a speech at the 5th Diocesan Communicators Conference in St Matthias Anglican Church, Abuja.

The cleric said it was imperative to develop a critical, analytical mind to regarding what people say and sift out the chaff in the interest of the public. He also frowned at the tendency of some clergy to exaggerate and warned that the public is appalled by such acts.

Speaking on the theme Optimum Use of Electronic Media in the Proclamation of the Gospel and the Furtherance of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Okoh told communicators that communication is not an afterthought but "a perpetual aspect of the church". According to him, "without communication there will be no progress".

Archbishop Okoh charged the communicators to assist their bishops in handling information, thereby mitigating all forms of negativity and enabling the bishops to lead the diocese efficiently. He also condemned those occasions when people have used his name to defraud members of the society, describing the fraudsters as 'miscreants' who want to ridicule or destroy the church.

Archbishop Okoh asked conference participants to see themselves as people who transfer the message of the Gospel by explaining theological jargon in a way ordinary people understand.

Meanwhile, the Director of Communication for the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the Ven. Foluso Taiwo, charged the Diocesan Communicators to realise that they have been created for a purpose which is to build the world with the untainted word of God and make it a better place for all.

He emphasized that as communicators they must rebuild the moral fibre of the society and the Church by restoring authentic Anglicanism. Ven. Taiwo pointed out that the conference drew its theme from the establishment of the Anglican Cable Network Nigeria (ACNN-TV) which, according to him, "is giving the Anglican Church a voice to pursue her vision and mission of evangelisation with pragmatic zeal". He acknowledged and applauded the effort of His Grace, the Most Revd Nicholas D. Okoh for the dynamic and positive role he is playing in the Anglican Communion and further charged the delegates to make sure that they support this television station spiritually and financially.

This year’s conference featured sessions on creative writing, rudiments of reporting by the Rt Revd Dr Blessing Enyindah; the ACNN TV programming by Ms Debrah Ogazuma; the production and benefits of a newsletter by Mr Tunji Oguntuase; a practical approach to video editing by Revd Canon Oghogho; the use of the Internet by Muyiwa Akinyele; and cinematography by Sesan Omotosho.

Also, the communicators were taken to the television station, to enlighten them on how to package programmes and news items from their dioceses.

At the end of the conference, Archbishop Okoh presented certificates to all the diocesan communicators present.