The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),Rivers State Council, Comrd Paul Bazia on Monday flagged off the membership revalidation exercise, in line with the directive from the National Secretariat.
The Chairman while flagging off the exercise at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, said it will go a long way to checking the activities of quacks in the Journalism Profession.
“National Secretariat has already opened a website for the registration and directed all State Councils to revalidate members of all the Chapels.
Before then, we had earlier set up a committee for that purpose.
“At the end of this exercise, we are expected to forward the data of revalidated members to the National Secretariat, for onward production of their identity cards,” the State Chairman said.
He emphasized that at the end of the revalidation exercise, the already established Taskforce on Quackery will swing into action by clamping down on impersonators, with a view to prosecuting them.
Comrd Bazia pointed out that the NUJ Constitution has already spelt out the minimum qualification for journalists as Bsc, BA and HND in Mass Communication or Journalism.
He added that those who studied other disciplines in their first degrees are expected to have Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in relevant disciplines to qualify them to practice as journalists.
According to the Chairman, the National Secretariat has opened a website for the registration of journalists across the country, awaiting the list of revalidated members from the 36 councils nationwide, including the FCT.
The Chairman consequently declared the revalidation exercise opened.
The Chairman called on journalists to ensure they participate in the exercise, as the outcome will form a compendium for journalists practice in Rivers State Highlight was the Chairman, Comrd Paul Bazia kick-starting his own revalidation and the Revalidation Committee, led by Comrd Godpower Lekia Anya was on hand to conduct the exercise.
