Director
General, Plateau state peace building agency Dr. Joseph Lengman, in an
address, said credible reportage by Journalists do propagate
harmony and peaceful coexistence in the society.
The Plateau State Peace Building Agency in collaboration with United
State Embassy organized a one day symposium for Journalists,
practicing in Jos, on conflict sensitive reporting on Tuesday.
DG of the peace
agency revealed to the gathering that the Plateau peace building agency
is the Brian-child of the incumbent Plateau state government toward
nipping in the bud and also mitigating in every unrest. He noted that
the agency is non religious and not political.
According to Dr. Lengman, Plateau state peace building agency is the
first of it kind in Nigeria; he stressed that formation of the agency
has helped in curtailing some uprising that would have degenerated.
He
said some states in Nigeria, who are bedeviled by violence conflicts
have queue in the Plateau initiatives on mitigating civil unrest through
establishing peace building agencies.
In their separate paper
presentations, Dr. Godfrey Danaan, a lecturer with the university of
Jos, from the department of Mass communication, Dr. Godwin Okoko, of the
civil societies and a communication consultant Mr. Solomon Kwakfut
advocated for peace journalism.
According to Dr. Okoko, the advent, and wrong use of the social media by unqualified persons have caused more harm than good.
The
civil society expert revealed that some Nigerian citizens who do not
wish the country well do feed the public with unconfirmed reports that
could degenerate into violence clashes.
On his part, Mr. Solomon
Kwakfut, in a lecture said some sensational captions of published news
stories has in the past created more conflicts.
He therefore cautioned media practioners, particularly editors from casting sensational headlines for monetary gains.
Delivering
a good will massage, chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalist, (NUJ)
Plateau state council Paul Jatau, in a speech said the symposium is
timely and apt.
Mr. Paul Jatau, a feature editor of the Nigerian
Standard, a Plateau state government publication also cautioned
reporters on fueling conflicts through reporting unconfirmed stories.
Similarly,
chairman Unit FM, a private radio station in Jos, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki
Nakande, a one time minister of information said the media in Nigeria
has powers to mitigate in civil unrest.
The former minister said
the relative peace achieved in Plateau state in recent times was in
collaboration of the media with peace advocates (NGO’s) and the Plateau
citizens who desire to live in peace.
He however, Alhaji Nakande
said some civil unrest that occurred in Plateau state was as a result of
criminality among gangs of criminals terrorising the state for selfish
gains.
A communiqué is expected; 44 selected Journalists attended
the symposium.
