…… heads APC new media unit
The immediate past Ondo State Information Commissioner, Yeye-Oba Bamidele Ademola-Olateju has been appointed the Head of New Media and Corporate Services Unit in the office of the the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Dr. Ajibola Basiru.
Ademola-Olateju said she would make an impact in the office and contribute to the realisation of the party’s agenda for the country.
She said in a statement in Abuja: “The traditional role of the media is to inform and educate the public about social, economic, and political events around them, focusing on the role of the government in channeling these events to assist the citizens in fulfilling their aspirations and in promoting peace, security, and stability of the country as stipulated in the constitution.
“The gatekeeping role of political parties in recruiting membership and producing candidates for office puts them in direct contact with the people. As a result, political parties need effective media outreach in recruiting members and candidates for office and in informing and educating the public about their agenda, policies, and programmes.
“This task takes on additional significance and burden where a political party births the government in power. This has been the case with the All Progressives Congress since 2015.
“The New Media and Corporate Services Unit will leverage new technologies of communication for outreach on behalf of the APC, especially its National Working Committee. New media are means of mass communication, which employ digital technologies, using the Internet as their “superhighway”.
“They include social media, blogs, virtual platforms, and streaming technologies. The use of such media has become central to the political arena in the last few years. We all experienced their impact during the last presidential election in the United States and, especially, here at home.
“As Head of New Media and Corporate Services, I will leverage these technologies to promote the agenda, policies, and programmes of the APC as outlined in the party constitution and implemented by the National Working Committee. In this regard, my work will complement that of the National Publicity Secretary. While the NPS will speak to broad party agenda and decisions, as the case may be, my office will disseminate the information across various media platforms, from social media to newspapers and TV.
“It is as important to take proactive measures to forestall criticisms of the party’s agenda as it is to defend it when criticised. My office will deploy new media specialists to perform this dual function, where necessary.
“My office will also forge a relationship with the government media office in order to assist in propagating government projects. This is necessary, because the party is more in touch with the people and can reach them faster through new media outlets.”
