Jutha Gupah, Damaturu
October 29, 2022.
The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has boycotted government activities over alleged intimidation and harassment of its members in Yobe State.
The boycott followed an emergency meeting of the Chapel, in Damaturu, to address security agencies’ harassment of journalists attached to the Government House.
Lamenting the harassments at the weekend (Friday), in Damaturu, the Chapel’s Chairman, Ahmad Abba, disclosed: “There were lack of formal invitations of journalists to cover all government activities in the state.”
He said that as the media, is the fourth estate of realm, the responsibilities of journalists are to inform the public on happenings, including various government activities at the Government House, Damaturu.
Besides, he added that for over a year, of the Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration, his Spokesman, Mohammed Mamman has never sent out formal invitations to cover the Governor’s activities in the state.
“This is, however; contrary to the practice in the past,” he declared, stating that this has negatively affected the operations of representatives of the various media in the state.
He said there is a lack of accessibility to Governor Buni by the working journalists across the state.
According to him, the Governor had never held a press conference in Yobe state, while he was the All Progressives Congress (APC) Extraordinary Caretaker Chairman for over three years.
He lamented that Buni had during the same period not speak on his administration’s policies and programmes in moving the state forward.
“This has clearly demonstrated the inaccessibility of the Governor to resident journalists in the state,” he said.
He, therefore urged the journalists to henceforth desist from using press releases issued by the State government.
End.
