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Tag: journalists

  • Delta condemns detention of journalists

    the Delta State Government has condemned the abduction and detention of journalists by suspected former militants in the state.

    In a statement by Information Commissioner Chike Ogeah, the government said: “On Sunday, November 16, 2014, 14 journalists returning from legitimate duties were forcefully abducted in the Escravos area by armed men believed to be aligned to an ex-militant leader. We unreservedly condemn this action as it is not only mindless but cowardly and unwarranted.

    “Journalists in Nigeria, especially those in Delta State, have consistently proved to be the beacon of peace, goodwill and reconciliation, even in the face of increasing security challenges. By their professional disposition, media practitioners have consistently won the admiration and respect of all sections of the society.

    “By resorting to actions designed to give the impression that the journalist were armed, the militants only showed ingratitude to the fourth estate of the realm, which was a reliable ally in the turbulent days of agitation for more equitable resource allocation. What is expected of the militants is for them to tender unreserved apologies to the 14 journalists and the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ).”

  • Osun hosts conference for journalists

    The 2014 edition of the annual conference of the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), will be held in the State of Osun, the association has said.

    The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Aker, who received the representatives of the association, said the state, under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is always willing to identify with individuals and organisations that could aid its developmental drive for the state.

    The Chairman of the group, Mr. Goddie Ofose, during a courtesy visit to the commissioner, said with the way the state governor has branded tourism, the association considers taking  discourse on tourism marketing to the state and it is expected to hold between November 20 and 23 with a topic: ‘Tourism marketing as catalyst for economic development’. The 2013 edition was held in Ogun State.

    According to Ofose,  “BJAN members have taken pain to follow up the activities of the State of Osun in the area of tourism, particularly the way the annual Osun Osogbo cultural festival has suddenly turned to international event. We do not only consider it necessary to reel out the economic benefits of tourism, we want to add our voices to how it can be better marketed. We want other states to learn from Osun and we want Federal Government to invest more in the industry,”

    Responding, Akere described the Aregbesola-led administration as a media-friendly government that would continue to contribute its quota to every step taken to add values to journalism practice in the country.  He said: “As a government that appreciates the place of effective communication in government, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has always regarded the media as a major partner in the journey to touch lives and bring rapid development into the State of Osun,”

    The speakers expected at the conference include; President Nigeria Guild of Editors,  Femi Adesina; MD, Chain Reaction, Israel Jaiye Opayemi; and COO, 141 Worldwide,   Bunmi Oke. Meanwhile, Hon. Sunday Akere has been pencilled down to open the conference while it will be chaired by the Registrar Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Bello-Kankarofi.

     

  • Journalists count gains of AWARES programme

    Journalists count gains of AWARES programme

    The curtains were drawn on the Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (AWARES) certificate programme of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Lagos last Thursday with the participants, mostly journalists, counting the gains of the 20-day training.

    The training, which spanned 10 weeks, featured courses like Writing Skills, Developing Story Angles, News Releases/House Journals, Critical Writing, Creative Writing, Business writing, Prose, Imagery and Symbolism, Storyline Development, Political Economy/Macro-economic Reporting, Ethics etc, and made a significant impression on many of the participants.

    The programme ended last week with a critique of magazines designed by the participants who were referred to as the AWARES 14 set.

    Despite the difficulties the journalists faced imbibing PAU’s stringent punctuality policy and 80 per cent attendance scores, many of the participants left with pleasant memories of the interactive sessions with various facilitators; the mostly unsuccessful efforts to avoid being caught by the class coordinator, Nse-Abasi Ndiokho trying to dodge attendance; and the delicious tea and sumptuous lunches served by the in-house restaurant.

    Prof Emevwo Biakolo set the tone early in the programme with his analysis of the ’12 ‘O’ Clock Man’ [representing workers who neglect family for work]; Dr Ikechukwu Obiaya’s Writing Skills classes addressed grammar, paragraphing, essay writing, business writing and other areas of the English Language that many in the class previously had challenges with; Mr Tomi Vincent’s Ethics sessions were always charged as the class discussed various case studies; Prof James Tsaaior and Ita Hozaife’s classes tasked the writers’ imagination to write creatively; Mr Michael Esere’s Digital Media classes were so practical and interesting that the participants hardly knew when it was time for lunch; Dr Henry Oripeloye’s classes underscored the importance of outline, critical thinking and logic in writing; Dr Austin Nweze brought to life the variables that affect economic reporting, while Dr Issa Momoh enlightened participants about the business side of journalism.  The various classes also featured many practical exercises.

    The 10-week programme was not solely spent studying as the participants embarked on a-day field trip courtesy of Chevron Nigeria Limited, the major sponsor of the course.  They visited the Molecular Biology Laboratory donated by the company to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); the Lekki Conservation Centre, which also enjoys the company’s support; and the Chevron Headquarters, where they were received by Mr Clay Neff, Chairman/Managing Director, CNL.

    Neff said the company decided to sponsor 30 of the 34 participants for the programme to boost human capital development in Nigeria.  He said the company values partnerships in society it operates and seeks to make sustainable investments in them.

    He said: “As you may already know, our vision is…to be the energy company most admired for its people, partnership and performance. One of our core values as a company is partnership. It is our practice to partner with relevant stakeholders everywhere we operate, in our efforts to achieve common business and development goals. In Nigeria, we have established enduring partnerships with different stakeholders, among whom are governments, non – governmental organizations (NGOs), business organizations, communities and of course the media.

    “In over five decades of operating in Nigeria, CNL has excelled in its core business of petroleum exploration and production; and has become a leading player in the country’s oil and gas industry. Through the provision of energy resources, we continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.  And through programmes such as AWARES, we build professional capacity and lasting partnerships with stakeholders.”

    Speaking on the benefits of the programme, many participants praised the interactivity of the class discussions, and the discipline, organisation and professionalism of the university and its workers.

    Mr Adekunle Yusuf of The Nation said he gained value from the programme that he did not expect to get from a Nigerian institution.

    “I reluctantly joined this class.  The day I graduated from the University of Lagos, I said never again will I step into any school in Nigeria.  But when I came here, I was impressed by the way you do things here.  I couldn’t believe that there is such a school in Nigeria where everybody is at their duty post,” he said.

    Describing the programme as rewarding, Sam Otti of The Sun said: “I value what we have done here.  When I came, I thought it would be just normal classes but it has gone beyond my expectation.  I like the interactive sessions.  If we have more writing classes, I think it would also help.”

    Mrs Joy Unegbu of the Nigerian Heart Foundation said she was forced to learn to be disciplined with time because of AWARES.

    “I used to struggle with time management.  Before now, I must go late for any programme.  However, any time, I prepare ahead.  Also, the teachers did not relate with us as teachers to students but as treated like equals.  The teachers here are intelligent and know what is happening around them.  They are able to relate with our experience,” she said.

    Another participant, Mr Olufemi Oribamise, who teaches at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), said the programme made him to change his ways of teaching.

    “I thought I had been doing my job well before, but now I am even better.  I now give my students five minutes of grace to get to class and after that they don’t come in.  They have been abiding with the new rule.  The discipline of time, phone calls, and proper dressing have been impactful during this training,” he said.

    On his part, Professional Education Development Manager, PAU, Mr Isaac Ezechukwu said the facilitators also commended the AWARES 14 set for being very active.  He said the aim of the course is to equip journalists with skills to help society develop.

    “The aim of the programme is to empower and train journalists who are those that help us articulate who we are and strengthen our democracy.  We are grateful to Chevron for sponsoring the programme,” he said.

    The AWARES 14 class will graduate with other streams of programmes at the 2014 convocation of the university on November 23.  In the course of the programme, the class elected four executives, namely: Nneka Ijeoma of CNL (President); Emeka Ugwanyi of The Nation (Vice President); Adeola Yusuf of New Telegraph (General Secretary); and Slyvester Okereke of The Champion (Social Secretary).

  • EAGLES SHUN JOURNALISTS

    EAGLES SHUN JOURNALISTS

    About 200 sports journalists that that came to cover the all-important 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between host Nigeria and visiting Sudan went home disappointed after the match as they couldn’t chat with Super Eagles players and their Chief Coach Stephen Keshi when they failed to attend the post-match press briefing that was slated for the Media Hall of the Abuja National Stadium yesterday.

    The enthusiastic journalists who were relieved that the Eagles beat Sudan comprehensively were eager to talk to the players and their Chief Coach Keshi but they had to wait for an hour before they were told that the Eagles had left for their hotel.

    Some of the journalists who flew in from Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin, Kaduna, Kano, Maduguri and other parts of the country left the stadium highly disappointed for not getting the chance to do their work since the players and their officials chose to shun them after winning the match.

    The Sports Minister had apologised to the Super Eagles players on behalf of Nigerian fans and media while chatting with the team during their training session on Monday. He then assured them that the media did not hate them but they were passionate about the game, a reason why they wrote their reports to ginger them to action. But it seems the players and their officials chose the victory’s opportunity to pay the sporting media back by shunning the post match interview.

  • Citibank trains journalists in Lagos

    Citibank trains journalists in Lagos

    Citibank Nigeria Limited last week, hosted the annual Citi Financial Journalists Training in Lagos. The event covered topics on financial markets and macroeconomics. It was facilitated by the bank’s Nigeria’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Akin Dawodu; Country Treasurer,  Bayo Adeyemo; Managing Director of SDI/Ruyi Communications, Soni Irabor and Managing Director of Teambuilding Nigeria, Yinka Olugbodi.

    The training provided an in-depth analysis of the financial markets and highlighted how economic trends and indicators should be interpreted.

    The forum also provided opportunity for interactive discussions among key media operators in the local market. The Citi Financial Journalists Training aligns with Citi’s commitment towards capacity building among various stakeholders in the Nigerian economic space.

    “The Citi Financial Journalists Training speaks to one of the bank’s core strengths in the market. Over the last 30 years, we have been at the forefront of providing financial markets training to industry colleagues, including our competitors, as well as regulators such as the Central Bank of Nigeria,” Dawodu said.

  • Victims’ relatives, journalists bitter over Synagogue

    Victims’ relatives, journalists bitter over Synagogue

    South African reporters seeking to visit Nigeria over the Synagogue tragedy and families of the victims are not happy with Nigeria. While the reporters say their visas’ applications are being frustrated, the victims’ families are sad because of the way the rescue efforts went, writes Asst. Editor JOKE KUJENYA

    Their concerns are different.  For the seven reporters working for newspapers in South Africa, their headache is getting visas to come to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, for on-the-spotreporting of what is now known as the “Synagogue tragedy”.  South African government says 84 of its citizens died in the tragedy when a guest house being remodeled by the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) collapsed.

    For the relatives of the survivors and the dead, their headache is either getting the bodies of their loved ones released to them or having their surviving relatives recover from the injuries sustained in the tragedy.

    One of such relatives, Martha Marope, sat quietly, rocking herself, softly singing her son’s favourite hymn in Pretoria, the South African capital on Monday.

    “I know he will be fine. I know he is here somewhere. They said everyone who was there is now here, everyone except the bodies.

    “His name is not on the list, but I know he is here. He must be. I came because I was told everyone must come.”

    Marope’s only wish was to see her 22-year-old son’s name on the government’s evacuation list of 25 South Africans injured in the collapse.

    “I love Kagiso’s smile. In every photo I have of him he smiles. Do you want to see?” asks Martha taking a photo from her handbag.

    He was one of 349 South Africans on a pilgrimage to Prophet T.B. Joshua’s church. Joshua has blamed Boko Haram for the disaster – a claim which is being investigated.

    Other distraught families – who had been told that their relatives would be quarantined for 48 hours to prevent the spread of disease – gathered at Pretoria’s Steve Biko Academic Hospital.

    The 10-hour evacuation by the air force is the largest to have been undertaken by  South Africa. City Press reported yesterday that “the next military flight from Nigeria to South Africa will not be ferrying the injured home; it will be repatriating the dead”.

    Marope said: “If he is not here today, maybe tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the next day. Another injured South African decided to stay and go back to the church. Maybe it’s Kagiso. That church is our home. I will go there and search for him. I will tell him it’s alright.”

    Another relative of the victim, Grace Sono, whose sister, Harriet, was among the 16 seriously injured survivors,  told a South African newspaper that a church co-ordinator told her that what had happened was “God’s way”. She had questions for Joshua: “Who is this prophet? He claims he can see things, bring back the dead. But he couldn’t stop this. Why doesn’t he bring this lady’s son Kagiso) back. We don’t accept his rubbish. Look, they are taking away the families of the dead and dying, those who have lost legs. You are telling us it’s God’s way. That we must accept. But God doesn’t do this to people who love him. We want answers, for her and the others whose husbands have died,” said Sono, pointing to a woman who had collapsed in tears as social workers told her the bad news.

    Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe told The Times of South Africa: “People have lost legs. A man with damaged kidneys must undergo dialysis. Another has gangrene and will lose his toes. Others have broken bones, fractured legs and bad face wounds. Children have been orphaned. If there is fault, someone must take the rap. We keenly await the investigation’s outcome.”

    Radebe said the identification of the dead was under way.

    “We have forensic scientists and others comparing fingerprints to the population database and making DNA tests.”

    While the South African government and families of those affected are bothered about the dead and the injured, reporters are bordered about getting visas to come and report the disaster. The seven journalists, who work with City Press, Media 24 and Sunday Times, said their visa applications were blocked by the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria.

    One of them asked this reporter to help find ways to expedite their visas.

    He said: “Please, is there any diplomatic contact within the state security you could call on to help expedite our visa applications? We had considered taking other options as getting into Nigeria through other neighbouring countries but other strong contacts advised against it. Altogether there were seven of us, who I know of, who applied for visas. When we applied, we were told by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria that we needed clearance from the Ministry of Information in Abuja, Nigeria.

    “Promptly, we forwarded our applications and names to a Mrs Kaluji (sic) at the Information Ministry. But, she told us that she sent our applications with our names to the State Security Service (SSS) where it has been stuck. Our challenge now is to know where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could co-write with the Information Ministry so that we can have the visas and come to Nigeria. As you can imagine, we need to be there given the time the visit takes so we don’t on the urgency and relevance of the development on ground. I do not feel comfortable revealing the names of my colleagues from the other media houses as they should speak for themselves. Please let me know what can be done with the ministry and what time frames we are looking at.”

    Attempts to get the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Viola Onwuliri and her Information counterpart, Labaran Maku, to comment on the issue were not successful. Calls were unanswered and short messages were not replied.

    The journalist with the Times Media Group said they ought not to be so treated because the disaster affects them more than other nationals.

    He added: “Have you any idea how long it will take the ministry to get our visas approved? It is so sad Nigeria has been so political about this from the onset. And it seems the Nigerian government is trying to stage-manage every aspect of it. Even the SA government initially had trouble accessing the site and survivors. I have seen the visit by Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan. What is important is do you know anyone in the Nigerian government who could assist us to speed up the visa –maybe in the Presidency, State or Security?”

    The Nation sent an email via nhcp@iafrica.com and nhcp@telkomsa.net to the High Commissioner, Mr S. S. Yusuf of the High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria, South Africa, asking to know the actual reasons for denying the journalists. But no reply has been received till the time of this report. However, none of the emails bounced back undelivered.

    This reporter also contacted a very top immigration officer to ask what could be done subsequent to the takes steps. The officer said: “Let him go to the Nigeria embassy in Pretoria now and apply to the ambassador.”

    The Times Media Group reporter said: “We have done all that. At this point, we are so confused. We don’t even know what is going on. I just wish someone in Nigeria can help us as quickly as possible.”

    Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Mr. Mohammed Garba promised to meet with the Maku and ensure that  the reporters get their visas to visit Nigeria to do their jobs.

  • Munitions factory hit in Ukraine’s Donetsk

    The Ukrainian city of Donetsk was rocked by blasts yesterday, even as government forces and pro-Russian separatists prepared to create a buffer zone to separate the warring sides. A memorandum signed early yesterday calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, including artillery, and all foreign fighters from a 30 kilometre-wide buffer zone.

    A Reuters correspondent in Donetsk, the main industrial hub in Ukraine’s turbulent east, said several powerful explosions were heard in the morning. A plant producing munitions and industrial explosives had been hit, municipal authorities said.

    Explosions were also heard from the direction of the main international airport which government forces are still clinging on to despite rebels’ attempts to loosen their control.

    A nine-point memorandum was signed earlier in the day in the Belarussian capital of Minsk by the separatists and envoys from Moscow and Kiev.

    “According to the text of the memorandum, each of the sides must pull back its heavy equipment and arms from today,” VolodymyrPolyovy, an official of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, told journalists.

    One Ukrainian soldier was killed and seven others were wounded in overnight violence, a military official told journalists.

  • Journalists undergo training on election coverage

    Journalists undergo training on election coverage

    The Nigeria Press Council (NPC), in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and international donor partners, has organised training for journalists in the Northeastern  on the coverage of the 2015 general elections.

    The journalists and others from the academia and government agencies from the six states in the geo-political zone converged on Bauchi to share ideas about electoral reporting. The theme of the seminar was “Ethical conduct and effective coverage of the 2015 general elections by the Media”.

    The training, which was put together by the Nigeria Press Council (NPC), was supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), UKaid, Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA).

    In attendance were 66 participants drawn from  Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe as well as federal and state government officials and the academia.

    Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, urged the media to ensure adequate coverage of election activities beginning with the politicians to the commission.

    He regretted that INEC is one organisation, that has been misunderstood by Nigerians, adding that the commission deserves more commendation than the accusations it receives from Nigerians.

    He said: “If there is any industry today in Nigeria that is highly misunderstood, it is INEC and we need to go beyond misunderstanding to the level of appreciation. People talk about Ekiti and Osun elections as if we had never conducted elections as good as those ones.” Represented by the Director of Voter Education, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, the INEC chairman said the commission did not do anything new in Ekiti or Osun states, stressing that the presence of security operatives only made the people to obey the law and respect the system.

    Jega confirmed: “These two elections are being discussed as the best elections because of the security presence and the fact that the people respected the system. We didn’t do anything different than what we have been doing. But this time around, the security presence made the people to respect the system.

    “Nigerians takes pleasure in breaking the laws. People have to understand that election is water, hospital, road and agriculture. People have to assist INEC to work fine and not to stand by the side and condemn. Everybody should be involved.

    “Election is everybody’s business and if we don’t see it that way, you will come to see it through water, roads and any other means of livelihood. The elite must come to the aid of INEC by partnering with the commission, believing that is your own project and without, it cannot succeed.”

    He challenged Nigerians to be part of election processes at all levels, even if they are active or non-active politicians so as to effect the desired change.

    He said:  “INEC’s business is everybody’s business and the elite must bridge the gap between the non-elite.

    “It took Americans 200 years to get to where they are today. Nigerians have the best brains in the world but Nigerians would have to help INEC in order not to take us 200 years to put the country’s democracy in shape even though, ‘our democracy is just 16 years.’”

    The Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council, Nnamdi Njemanze, urged the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), government, security operatives and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to do everything possible to protect journalists during elections, especially in the troubled northeast geo-political zone.

    He urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Electoral Act as well as the ethics of journalism profession if they must effectively educate the electorate on things that are expected of them during campaigns, elections and holding government officials accountable.

    Chairman of the Bauchi State Council of NUJ, Comrade Garba Mohammed Dahiru advised journalists to work hard to ensure the sustainability of the country’s democracy which they fought for, adding that the constitution has empowered the media to monitor government’s policies and programmes and report to the masses to make their decisions on the government.

    Dahiru solicited support for INEC and other donor agencies and non-governmental organisation in the training of journalists, especially those in the Northeast region on special tips for reporting election in view of the security challenges in the region.

    In a communiqué at the end of the training, participants agreed that the media have so far not been sufficiently critical in analysing the various campaign promises of parties and their candidates. They also agreed that some media professionals project subjective political biases as objective critical analyses.

    They lamented that certain mindsets about power and politics; the role of the state on society, ethnicity, religion and political succession oftentimes cloud journalists’ judgments in their reportage; while most media organisations jettison the provision of the Broadcasting Code as well as those of the professional Code of Ethic for journalists.

    They also agreed that the media has been found wanting in the screening of the electoral process, while the rural areas have been largely marginalised and have not had adequate media coverage. They also agreed that the mass media can meet its expected role of sustaining the electoral process with the provision of substantial resources and with changes in key areas.

    However, the situation is that media platforms, such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) need to be strengthened to be more vibrant.

    They recommended the repositioning of the Nigeria Press Council to enable it to execute its crucial role of providing information that would enhance public knowledge about the electoral process so that voters can make informed decisions; journalists should adopt the proactive measures of self-censorship and utilise the best defence of reporting accurately, impartially and responsibly.

    They also recommended that the mass media confers on voters their status as partakers in decision-making structures by participating in elections. Journalists should therefore, establish cohesive partnership with INEC to ensure appropriate election coverage and mutual dissemination of information that would aid the process rather than denigrate it.

  • Journalists on ‘marble’

    Journalists on ‘marble’

    IN 1997, Motoring Editor of the defunct Daily Times Newspaper, Olaniyi Ogundare died in Paris in an autocrash while test driving a new product of Peugeot Automobile.

    On the first anniversary of his death, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited (PAN) published a remembrance advert in which the management paid tributes to the Ogundare.

    “In your professional duties, you were transparently honest, open-minded, trust worthy, appreciative and upright. Although you are gone, the legacy of your goodwill and credibility lingers on for which we are proud.” PAN stated.

    In a piece I wrote titled The Victory in Death published in the newsletter of Journalists for Christ in 1998, I noted that the question journalists mourning Ogundare should ask themselves is whether a good testimony like the one written about the late Motoring Editor could be written about them by their employers, colleagues and those they report if they die on duty?

    Penultimate Sunday, I was reminded of the above  article following tributes pouring in on the sudden death of the Vice Chairman of the The Sun Newspapers Pastor Dimgba Igwe who was killed by a hit and run driver while jogging around his residence.

    The tributes speak volumes of the kind of journalist, the ace writer, publisher, author, biographer and pastor was and will be remembered as.

    The key words I found  in the tributes which is worthy of emulation for every journalist includes consummate professional, distinguished editor and columnist, quiet and diligent worker, reformer, writer with fecund imagination, cerebral and fearless Journalist and renowned media administrator.

    Others are, trail blazer, worthy role model,  thoroughbred journalist, sensitive to national

    cohesion and development, refined journalist, God fearing, passionate and painstaking and  journalist with the Midas touch.

    President Goodluck Jonathan aptly sums up the whole essence of Igwe’s personal and professional accomplishments.

    “ Dimgba Igwe put his God-given abilities to the best possible use in a very purposeful life that was wholly devoted to the defence of truth and the public interest, as well as the promotion of the highest standards of his chosen profession of journalism.”

    Last Thursday, I was the Chairman at the third memorial lecture in honour of a young lady, Ngozi Agbo, nee Nwozor  who left her imprint on the sands of journalism through editing the Campus Life pages in The Nation.

    Members of the University of Lagos Press Club which organised the event never met the deceased but  said what they have read, heard  and seen about the Campus Life convinced them that Ngozi is a journalist that should forever be celebrated for the good work she did in raising a new generation of campus journalists nationwide.

    “You stood in the gap to ensure that our generation is not hopeless by choosing to spend the bulk your time in making us stars in a distressed generation. You opened our eyes to possibilities of a better Nigeria and gave us opportunities to learn and interact with one another through CAMPUSLIFE avenue.

    “With songs of praises to God, we remember you with streams of joy flowing in our hearts because we are the evidence that you once graced this surface earth and we will continue to be the change agents that you taught us to be,” Philip Okorodudu a graduate of the Delta State University wrote in the tribute published in the UNILAG Gong launched at the memorial lecture.

    What kind of person will you be remembered as? The option is yours.

  • Scholars demand better welfare for journalists

    Media owners have been advised to pay journalists well, to enable them meet their responsibilities.

    This was contained in a communiqué at the end of a two-day conference organised by the Association of Communications Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).

    The event attracted stakeholders and professors of Mass Communication.

    ACSPN, according to the communiqué, would partner the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other regulatory authorities to re-design the media and communication curriculum. The ACSPN also advocated an improved welfare for media scholars and professionals.

    The association agreed to partner NUC to institute a six-month mandatory industrial training for media and communication students.

    Also, the apex body for mass communicators recommended that conflict reporting should be included in the media and communication curriculum and urged journalists to report conflict with a sense of responsibility. The association frowned at the use of inflammatory, misleading and sensational headlines by the media to attract sales and advised that such should be discouraged.

    It recommended that proper and responsible journalism should be encouraged among professionals, particularly journalists, to reduce the psychology of fear intended by terrorist groups.

    The association encouraged young female communication scholars and professionals to be active members of ACSPN as a way of improving their competencies and impacts in the industry. It recommended that communication institutions and associations in public relations, marketing communications, broadcasting and film production should promote professionalism.

    ACSPN advised communication scholars and professionals on the need to frame children and youth issues as they were a vulnerable group that must be given special attention.

    The media, according to the communiqué, needed   to get acquainted with and adopt the conflict sensitive approach in reporting elections in the country.

    The media was also enjoined to develop capacity as mediators in political conflicts by paying attention to their gate-keeping, agenda- setting and status- conferral roles in political reporting process.

    Prof. Idowu Sobowale, Prof. Lai Oso and Prof. Owems-Ibie Nosa were re-elected as the Chairman Board of Trustees, President and General- Secretary.

    Others are Prof. Umaru Bête, Deputy President. Six vice-presidents were elected for the six geopolitical zones:

    Dr. Wilson Joseph, Northeast; Prof. Kate Omenugha, Southeast; Dr. Beatrice Okonkwo, Northcentral; and Dr. Odion Odiboh, Southwest.