EDITORS of mainstream print and electronic media have welcomed the pledge of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to cooperate with media so that the public remains abreast of what is taking place in the crude oil project.

EACOP on Saturday in Dar es Salaam organised a well-attended project familiarisation seminar for editors.

EACOP sent a four-member team for seminar facilitation led by the Head of Communication (Tanzania), Catherine Mbatia.

The dominant opinion was that it remains to be seen if EACOP will honour its word and that media houses hope there will be regular flow of information that is of value to the public from the giant project. The crude oil pipeline from Hoima District in Uganda will pass through eight regions in Tanzania ending at Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port.

Editor Mgaya Kingoba (HabariLeo) said facilitators gave useful clarification on the compensation issue, for example. “I think the seminar has been a useful gathering.  It is a good start on cooperation in disseminating information to the public. We were exposed to various benefits people in the pipeline corridor will get.  People have been compensated and I am witness to that. My relative, in Handeni District, has been compensated for his land and other properties,” said.

He said the project has broad socio-economic benefits to Tanzanians and Ugandans, explaining that the project will spur money circulation in the two countries as thousands of people will get direct and indirect employment.

Editor Nevile Meena (Brains Media) said the seminar was an eye opener, explaining that huge preparatory work on the project has been done. Meena is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tanzania Editors Forum.

“At the level of project preparation a lot of good work has been done.  It has been inclusive. They have done a good job, I would say. We have been empowered collectively in order to give right information to the people at different stages of project implementation,” he said.

Editor Khamis Mkotya, (Channel Ten) said he gets disappointed when he reads or hears negative and misleading information on EACOP.  The seminar has helped him get useful and detailed information on project implementation.

“Chemba is my home district. I know people have been accurately and justly compensated including my own relations.  The seminar has been a useful capacity building meeting.  We shall be in a good position to report on the project in future,” he said.

Editor Hafidh Kido, (Taifa Tanzania) said the seminar has helped participants understand the project better. “The seminar has put us in the right position to follow up implementation of the project, stage by stage. And it is good the project management has promised to give us information. This project is pro-poor people in Tanzania and Uganda; not the reverse. Tanzania and Uganda governments should be congratulated on what they have done so far,” he said.

The seminar was also attended by owners of PR firms and social media platforms.

Mbatia pledged to give media houses full cooperation, saying EACOP considers media houses to be very important stakeholders.