The Kaduna State chapter of the Truth and Justice Defenders Forum has reacted to a media report questioning the handling of security in Kaduna State by Governor Uba Sani, alleging that it was paid job, lacking in merit and professional depth.
A news medium had accused Governor Uba Sani of abandoning some parts of the state to the fate of criminals and blamed former Governor Nasir El-Rufai for still being in charge and for meddling in the affairs of the state by taking key decisions for the incumbent governor at the expense of the state.
The report also accused Governor Uba Sani of being insensitive to the security situation in the state by traveling for Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
In reaction, the Truth and Justice Defenders Forum described the report as warped, unprofessional, unfounded and sponsored by a "frustrated, disgraced politician" in the state.
Sabo Abbah Anas, Chairman of the Forum, in a strongly-worded statement said, they were quite aware of the identity of the main sponsor of such mischievous stories aimed at heightening tensions in the state.
"We shall not hesitate to name the discredited frustrated, and dejected opposition Senator in the state who persists in such desperate attempt to review and falsify the facts using some unscrupulous media to mislead and misinform the public," said Anas.
Anas noted in the statement that, without the need to give detractors more reasons to feel important, the Forum warned politicians, especially "the publicity-hungry blogger", to desist from attempts to manipulate the truths about state security.
"We note especially that a section of the media has not been extremely careful in their reportage of the security situation in Kaduna State and end up fanning greater unrest."
"Notwithstanding this well-known bias of that section of the media, the state government never made a habit of denouncing them at every occasion or on the slightest of breaches of decorum and etiquette."
"We were all along hoping that they would change to being more restrained in reporting on matters that affect the credibility of the electoral process and popular will of the people without resorting to partisan overkill."
"We expected the proprietors of these unnecessarily unfriendly media outfits to regulate themselves and abide by their own rules and etiquette regarding the dissemination and reportage of news.
Alas! The position remains unchanged that whenever matters affecting or arising from the security situation such as this one are reported or commented upon, the intrinsic bias of these media houses keeps becoming apparent; more so when they get continuously influenced by an ex-Senator mad about publicity".
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"We are today calling on professional bodies like NUJ, Nigerian Guild of Editors and NPAN to call such poor media operators to order in their reporting of all political situations in the state and to eschew the slanted reporting of events with greater bias on issues of national security
We warn that editorial policies and restraints imposed by ordinary decency and sanity must not be abandoned by the media establishment for sensational and often biased reporting that only inflame tensions in the state," Annas said.
According to the Forum, it was surprising why the report would single out Kaduna State for such attacks and treatment whereas the security situation was as well or even more pervasive in other northern states like, Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger than it was in Kaduna State.
