ASSESSMENT OF CANDID OPINIONS OF RESIDENTS IN THREE SENATORIAL DISTRICTS, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA, ON MEDIA PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT PROGRAMMES

Fidelis Olusegun Ashade, Joseph Dayo Odigie (Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta) & Timothy Omolaso Odenike (Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro), Nigeria, ID CLEaR2017-445;        ABSTRACT: The most powerful person or nation in the world is not one in possession of destructive nuclear weaponry, but one who has adequate information, knowledge and enlightenment about happenings in the society. Creating awareness through public enlightenment campaign programmes (PECP) is essential for fast and rapid development of the citizenry who aspire to achieve a desirable community where the law is obeyed, justice and peace reign. Among many adverse effects that are impactful are lack of or insufficient information through public education and enlightenment programmes. This in most cases results in inordinate or undeserved punishment meted out on classes of people, particularly the down-trodden, the uneducated, ignorant, proletariat, and socially backward people. This eclectic empirical qualitative assembled discourse attempted an assessment of the very candid, unduly influenced opinions of residents in the three senatorial districts of Ogun State in Nigeria. This was to ascertain provision, relevance, adequacy and effectiveness of such public enlightenment campaigns among other electronic media programmes. The information processing theory, behavioural and imitation behaviour theories were reviewed in relation to this assessment. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was adopted as the most appropriate research instrument in the three senatorial districts featuring ten discussants each from whom desired facts were obtained. Findings showed that many impediments have militated against the efficacy of public enlightenment programmes as the ignorant, uneducated, poor and socially backward suffer privations. Appropriate recommendations were made based on the gathered facts.

Keywords: Enlightenment, Awareness, Knowledge, Development and Justice