Leadership (Abuja)
Dauda Mbaya
16 November 2009
Maiduguri — The National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Mohammmed Garba, has condemned in strong terms, the killings, harassment and intimidation of journalists all over the country.
The national president stated this at the 3rd triennial delegate conference of the NUJ Borno State council held at the International Conference Centre, Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri.
Comrade Garba said Journalists played a major role in chasing the military out of power that ushered in the current democratic government, but today, they are been harassed, intimidated and sometimes outrightly killed, which he said is unacceptable.
He urged the government to ensure that practicing journalists are well protected while carrying out their constitutional duties.
The president stated that currently, the union is partnering with 10 media organisations to ensure that all working journalists are covered with life insurance , and urged other media organisations to assist the union in achieving this goal.
He said a committee on capacity building and retraining has already been set up with a view of ensuring the professionalisation of its members.
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Senator Kaka Mallam Yale, a senator representing Borno Central, said career development in journalism is better fine-tuned by the continued emergence of new communication technologies, new dimensions and modern approaches in all facets of human endeavours and urged the union to continue to promote professionalism, because it is the key in ensuring that journalists stay in tune with realities of the time.
The Senator urged the fourth estate of the realm to ensure its watch dog function is sharpened to provide the much needed service to humanity.
"I urge you to uphold objectivity, balance and fair reporting of events and ensure that everything possible is done to maintain peace, tolerance and harmonious co-existence among Nigerians", he said.
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