- * Urges Journalist's Union To Embark On Immediate House Cleaning of Bad Eggs
- NUJ Accuses Govt of Encouraging Counterfeit Journalists By Deploying Language And Religious Politics
By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Niger state government has expressed concerns over activities of fake journalists coming with different names and groupings, urging the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to do self cleansing by ridding itself of bad eggs causing undue tension and security breaches through their reports.
But the union in sharp reactions disagreed with the state government's claims, insisting that the state government did provide the enabling environment for the fake journalists practicing outside the ethics of the profession and thriving because they use religion and language to their advantage.
Journalists without any form of identification or have no particular media organization he or she is representing can pose security threats because such people could be a spy just waiting for opportunity to carry out disinformation or misinformation to suit his/her pay master thereby causing security concerns.
Niger state Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brig-Gen Mohammed Bello Abdullahi (rtd) who made the declaration during a pre-Security Summit Media Round-Table, said his office has been inundated with visits and calls from persons claiming to be journalists appearing under different media names and groups seeking for attention.
The Commissioner told the gathering who are mostly members of the NUJ that, "Misinformation and Disinformation, the rise of social media and digital platforms has increased the risk of misinformation affecting public perceptions and security".
Not ruling out pivotal roles played by journalists in the growth and development of Niger state, the retired army General said, journalists should ensure that informations does not only inform, educate, entertain but guide targeted audience especially in times of security challenges.
Retired Brig-Gen Bello said it is because of the non-state actors infiltration in the system that the state government is planning Security Summit with the aim of bringing to the barest minimal issues that has to do with securing the lives and properties of citizens by blocking all the loopholes.
Meanwhile, Niger state chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Abu Nmodu has fired back at the state government, insisting that it is the state government that is fertilizing the activities of fake journalists and giving them the needed support to thrive.
Instead of patronizing genuine and qualified journalists registered as members of the NUJ, the state government according to Abu encouraged people with no prerequisite training to gain popularity in the corridors of power and using same to tarnish the image of members and the journalism profession generally.
He once encouraged the Mohammed Umar Bago led government to see journalists not as enemies or rivalries, but as partners carrying out their statutory responsibilities of informing, educating and entertaining the citizenry on the policies and programmes of the government. NNL.
