By Correspondent in Minna
The Managing Director/Chief Executive,Blue Print Newspapers,has urged journalists in the country to join the collective effort to put kidnapping and other tendencies behind the nation.
He gave the advice im a paper titled, “Media and Insecurity in Nigeria; Niger State Perspective”, during the 2021 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger state Council over the weekend.
“One of the easiest way to curtail national security threats, including Boko-Haram and armed banditry is for journalists to be key stakeholders and support the federal government’s effort through their reports,”he said.
According to him, journalists are expected to build the morale of security operatives fighting terrorists and not on the criminals or terrorists themselves.
He called on Journalists not to dwell on celebrating criminals but lay more emphasis on the efforts of gallant Nigerian soldiers or the armed forces who risked their lives to protect the territorial integrity of this nation.
This he argued was necessary to encourage security forces in fighting criminals.
Idris Malagi challanged jouralists to change the narratives by re-focusing their reports in the interest of the country.
Malagi, who spoke through the former Chief Press Secretary to the Niger state Governor, Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, argued that; Niger-Delta militants, Boko-Haram, Armed bandits and other form of criminalities could not have thrived if journalists covering such security beat were a bit more considerate in their reportage.
In an address, the NUJ President Comrade Chris Isiguzo,assured Nigerians that notwithstanding the numerous challenges, the media, journalists in particular, would not succumb in it’s genuine efforts at keeping Nigeria as one indivisible entity.
Isiguzo told the gathering at the Idris Legbo Kutigi international conference centre for the 2021 Press Week/Award ceremony organised by the state council, that journalists would always consider national interest above any other thing in their reports.
“Journalists will remain resolute in communicating and reporting realities, devoid of fears because Nigerians solely rely on us. The Media will continue to remain the voice of the voiceless and hope of the common man in todays’ present realities,”he said.
Isiguzo cautioned journalists against allowing themselves to be deceived by political actors and merchants to distort facts against the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
He reminded media practitioners that, “We have no other country than Nigeria and we must stand firm to salvage it collectively”.
Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, represented by the Commissioner for3 Water Resources and Dams Development, Yusuf Suleiman assured journalists in the state of his administration’s continued support,in appreciation, for constructive criticisms to enable his administration succeed.
The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Abdul Idris, had earlier in an address of welcome, expressed of the plan by the council plans to establish an NUJ school for the training of more journalists.
Highpoint of the occasion was the honour accorded some distinguished Nigerlites.
