NUJ committed to speaking for voiceless Nigerians, says Isiguzo
National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, says journalists are committed at all times to speaking out for voiceless Nigerians.
Isiguzo stated this in Ibadan, Oyo state when he led officers of the union on a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state.
He said the visit to the state is part of his team’s nationwide tour to interact, interface and reconnect with journalists across the country, disclosing that “we thought it wise to devote time with practitioners to appreciate their challenges at work places and see how we can address some of the challenges.
“We understand that this is a critical movement in the life of our nation, especially as it affects the practice of journalism, as this is not the best of times to be addressed as journalists.
” This is in looking at the array of attacks, clamp -downs, intimidation, harassment, victimisation and in some cases the incarceration of journalists.
“We even have a good number of our members gunned down while doing their job and I know that most of us are gradually losing hope in the entire system.
“That is why we felt it is needful to go round the country and tell our members not to lose hope, but keep hope alive because losing hope in the entire system would spell doom for the nation and of course, our democratic process.
”We know the role played by us as practitioners to ensure that Nigeria won democracy in 1999 and we cannot lose hope no matter the antics of desperate political actors.
”We won’t allow them to destroy this democracy, so as journalists, we must continue to discharge our responsibility as practitioners.”
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He also said there were unique features of democratic governance such as respect for the rule of law and ensuring that the media enjoys unfettered access to freedom of expression as provided in the 1999 Constitution.
Isiguzo also said the nationwide tour would give his team opportunity to collate the views of journalists and other stakeholders on the Journalism Enhancement Bill.
Responding, the Oyo state Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, who received the NUJ team on behalf of Gov. Makinde, noted that journalists in the state have been playing a wonderful role.
Olaniyan further noted that journalists in the state were serving as the watch-dog of democracy and urged them to sustain the tempo.
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