Ensure Safety Of Journalists During 2019 Elections, NUJ Chairman Urges Security Agencies, Other Stakeholders

The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, Stanley Job Stanley, has urged the Police, Army, DSS, Civil Defence and other security agencies to ensure the safety of journalists during the 2019 general elections.

Stanley Job, who made the admonition in an address he delivered at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop organized for journalists in Port Harcourt by Amnesty International, in collaboration with CMAP and Chicoco Radio, also called on other stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, community leaders and the general public to ensure all journalists covering the elections and carrying out legitimate duties are protected.

The Rivers NUJ boss, who warned against assault and intimidation of journalists, equally advised government and its agencies to shun any act that inhibits movement of journalists or gag them from covering events, particularly during next year’s elections.

Political parties, in the same vein, were also advised to respect the rights of journalists to cover and report their activities, stressing that they should refrain from harassing and intimidating them in any manner whatsoever, but should rather channel any complaint arising from the conduct of journalists covering such activities to the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the Union.

While advising journalists to be security conscious at all times, the NUJ chairman said he believed that the training workshop would add to their knowledge, stressing that they should take the lectures seriously in order to pass the knowledge acquired from it to the rest of their colleagues in their various offices.     

Stanley Job said the training was the first step towards fulfilling one of their electioneering promises, stressing that more and bigger training opportunities await journalists in the State.

He thanked Amnesty International for the partnership, saying the training was the beginning of a lot more of good collaboration between the human rights body and the NUJ in Rivers State.

Resource persons at the training session include, Osai Ojigho, Director Amnesty International Nigeria, who trained the Journalists on Human Rights, particularly the International and Regional Human Rights Systems; Application of Human Rights in the Nigerian Context; Monitoring and Documenting Human Rights Violations.

Michael Uwemdimo of Chicoco Radio had earlier set the context of the training and later took participants on Democratic principles, process and the role Journalists in a democracy and in ensuring free, fair and transparent election process.

In her presentation, Esther Ikubaje discussed Freedom of Expression (FOE), its Definition and Elements; Threats to FOE and Measures to Mitigate them; Nigerian Case Study as well as Amnesty International Campaign on FOE.

On his part, the Media Manager, Amnesty International, Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, trained participants on Human Rights and the Media.

He specifically treated the used of Social Media for Advocating Human Rights; Amnesty International Media System; and Security for Journalists.

Twenty registered members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, participated in the training with other media practitioners.