The Plateau State Council, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed dismay over the attitude of some overzealous security personnel who express contempt towards journalists in the discharge of their professional duties and called for synergy between security personnel and journalists in the interest and development of Plateau and Nigeria.
The Union also observed with dismay the leadership tussle at the State House of Assembly which it said has painted the State in a bad light and called on the legislators to put aside their interest and address the issues in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the of the State.
In a communique issued shortly after its congress meeting on Wednesday and signed by Council Secretary, Peter Amine, the body further decried the looming food crisis in the country and the continued hike in prices of foodstuff in the market which has made life difficult for citizens and appealed to Government to put in place a price control mechanism to ensure the affordability and accessibility of food to the public.
According to the document put together by Gyang Bere, Ezekiel Dontinna, John Farinola, and Gwamkat Gwamzhi, the body frowned at the high cost of living in the country and the skyrocketing price of cooking gas as well as the artificial fuel scarcity being experienced in the country and called on the government to take urgent steps to arrest the situation.
The communique reads in part, “Council observed with dismay the leadership tussle at the Plateau State House of Assembly which has painted the state in a bad light. Council called on the legislators to put aside their interests and address the issues in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the interest of the State.
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“… Council noted with dismay the indiscriminate use of NUJ/PRESS stickers by commercial drivers and none members. Council appealed to the FRSC, the Police, and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that anybody who carries NUJ/PRESS sticker should provide his/her NUJ identity card and that of his office as a means of identification. Failure to do so, the individual should be apprehended for impersonation and be penalized according to law.
“The NUJ advised Plateau State Government and reputable organizations in the state to take advantage of trained and professional journalists in propagating their activities to avoid misrepresentation rather than using untrained persons under the guise of bloggers who do not understand the rudiments of journalism and have no gatekeepers which are key in news reporting.
“Council also expressed dismay over the attitude of some overzealous security personnel who express contempt towards journalists in the discharge of their professional duties. Council calls for synergy between journalists and security personnel in the interest and development of Plateau and Nigeria. Meanwhile, Council commended security agencies for the relative peace the state is enjoying in the last few weeks and calls for sustainable measures to consolidate fragile peace.
“Council decried the looming food crisis in the country and the continued hike in prices of foodstuff in the market thereby making life unbearable for citizens. The NUJ appeals to Government to put in place a price control mechanism to ensure the affordability and accessibility of food to the public. Council also observed with displeasure the high cost of living in the country and the skyrocketing price of cooking gas as well as the artificial fuel scarcity and called on the government to take urgent steps to arrest the situation.”
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