Journalists and doctors in Rivers State yesterday protested what they called “unwarranted attacks” on their members in the line of duties.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) State Chairman Opaka Dokubo said if the attacks continued, “journalists will not attend any political event without adequate provision for their safety”.
He added: “Enough is enough.”
Dokubo spoke against the background of the attack on journalists at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Okrika, Rivers State.
The NUJ chairman condemned the attack on Channels Television reporter, Mr Charles Erukaa, and other reporters covering the rally.
He recalled that Erukaa “had a bottle broken on his head and the same weapon used to stab him on the throat. He now lies critically ill in the hospital”.
Dokubo said: “It is clear that of all the dead and injured, it is this hapless reporter that was directly attacked for no other reason than being a journalist.”
The Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also protested the abduction of doctors.
NMA State Chairman Dr. Furo Green told reporters that three doctors had been abducted by gunmen in the last one week.
Furo said the first doctor was released with a gunshot wound while the second was still being held.
He said: “In the last five days, two doctors have been kidnapped and the third was shot, following an unsuccessful attempt at kidnapping him…”
Ahead of the forthcoming general elections in February, the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) is organizing capacity building programmes for journalists in the six geo-political zones in the country.
The council, which is holding the 6th edition in Lagos state, organized the workshop to prepare members of the press on the effective coverage and reportage.
With the theme: “ethical conduct and effective coverage of 2015 elections by the media”, the council aims at strengthening the capacity of the media using the code of professional conducts.
The key objective of the zonal workshops is to train journalists in both print and broadcasting organisations in best practices for election reporting, sensitizing them on ethical principles guiding election reporting and coverage a deliberate means of entrenching democracy and by extension good governance in Nigeria.
The workshop is in support of the Democratic Governance for Development Project (GDD) of the United Nations Development Programme.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in United Kingdom has urged all supporters of press freedom to join the 11am minute’s silence to mourn the 12 victims of the Wednesday Paris attack.
NUJ General Secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, in a statement said: “Following yesterday’s shocking and sickening assassinations of journalists at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and attending police officers, the NUJ is calling on all members to observe the minute’s silence called by colleagues in France this morning at 11am our time (noon in France).
“The NUJ, together with journalists and their unions around the world, has condemned this attack as an attempt to gag press freedom and attack the entire profession.
“Please join us all in stopping work for one minute to pay our collective respects to colleagues who have paid the ultimate price in carrying out their work.
According to Stanistreet on the website of (NUJ) – a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland -with 38,000 members, and member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) itself, the assassination of journalists at Charlie Hebdo, cynically targeted on press day to maximise casualties… is an attempt to assassinate the free press.”
However, French Police disclosed that four of the magazine’s well-known cartoonists, including its editor, were among those killed, as well as two police officers. Meanwhile, another shooting was reported on Thursday morning at the Suburb, killing one police officer.
Similarly, individual Nigerians as well as journalists in Nigeria and the world at large have also joined the over 2.2million Hashtag users on social media to express shock at the deadliest terror attack on French soil in more than 50 years.
Among these tweets from Nigerians using the Hashtag, #JeSuisCharlie are:
@NOIweala said; Terrible incident. Our deepest sympathies to the journalists and their families. We are one with France in mourning
@Seunakioye said; In Nigeria, we journalists have our fair share of terror from govt and fundamentalists. We condemn these senseless killings
@omonlakiki said; They may have killed 10 journalists of Charlie Hebdo, but they can never kill free speech to mention but a few.
Muslim groups worldwide on Wednesday expressed anger over the situation as the gunmen shouted Islamic phrases “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) and the “prophet is avenged” before fleeing in a stolen car.
“Terrorism has no religion and is an affront to Islam, therefore we must confront and expose the evil ideology of these terrorists,” Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, a Muslim group in the United Kingdom, said in a statement.
The group further said on usa: “The barbarous attack of extreme gravity is also an attack against democracy and freedom of the press. Our first thoughts are with the victims and their families for whom we have total solidarity.”
Furthermore, the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, said on Thursday morning there had been “several arrests” overnight in the hunt for two suspects in the deadly shooting. No further details are yet available.
In an interview with RTL radio and reported by theguardian.com on Thursday, Valls said preventing another attack “is our main concern” as he explained why authorities released photos of the two men, along with a plea for witnesses to come forward.
L-R: Pictures released by French police in Paris. Cherif Kouachi, 32, and his brother Said Kouachi, 34, suspected in connection with the attack. Photograph: French police/AFP/Getty Images
In addition, Global Editors Network issued a statement saying: “After the attack at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, we are dedicating this newsletter to the victims, their families and everybody fighting for freedom of press all over the world. GEN supports all initiatives defending this essential democratic value.”
The attackers were initially assumed to be professionals in their operation until French Police revealed that one of the suspects had been identified by his identity card, which had been left in the getaway car.
This is not confirmed yet as investigation and manhunt continues to find brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, who were described as being in their early 30s and were considered to be armed and dangerous.
As at the time of filing this report, the Police have released the names of three suspects, including pictures of two brothers – one with possible links to al-Qaida – who are suspected of being behind the terror attack.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone-B, has advocated autonomy for the third tier of government in Nigeria in the on-going amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
According to a statement in Akure on Thursday by Mr. Dele Atunbi, Vice-President of the zone, granting of autonomy to the local government is in the spirit of true federalism.
“Local government autonomy will bring about rapid transformation at the grassroots, unlike the present situation of stunted growth and inaction.
“Grassroots development will reduce tremendously rural urban drift and congestion in our city centres.
“Reduction in rural urban drift will equally reduce organised crimes in the country and ensure the success of the youth in agriculture programme of the Federal Government.
“This will in turn bring about food security as well as generate more activities at the grassroots,” the statement said.
The union decried a situation whereby only two out of the three tiers of government enjoyed autonomy, saying “this development is inequitable as what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander”.
According to the statement, the current situation has given the second tier of government an undue advantage of meddling into the funds of the third tier without any meaningful development in the rural areas.
“The development has equally incapacitated the third tier from performing its constitutional duties to the people.
“We, therefore, call on patriots to step up advocacy on local government autonomy in the interest of the country,” the union said.
Members of the Plateau State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) stormed the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Jos, the state capital, yesterday with various placards to protest the proposed local government autonomy and the scrapping of the state’s join account.
The teachers addressed reporters on their opposition to autonomy for local governments.
NUT State Chairman Gunshin Yarlings said: “Teachers are no longer willing to go through the experience of near collapse of primary education between 1990 and 1994, when primary school teachers were owed six to 12 months’ salary.
“The local government never took primary education as a priority, thus did not care to pay their contribution of a mandatory 15 per cent of the teachers’ emolument to the pension fund meant for the payment of pensions and gratuities of primary school teachers.”
A delegation of journalists in Abia State, led by the Chairman of a Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. John Emejor and Correspondents Chapel Chairman Emma Ugwu have visited the family of their kidnapped colleague, Mr. Ugochukwu Ugorji-Eke of The Nation.
Mr. Eke, the Umuahia Correspondent of The Nation, was kidnapped in front of his house last weekend by gunmen who took him away to an unknown destination. His kidnappers have demanded N20million ransom from the family.
Speaking at the residence of their kidnapped colleague, the Abia NUJ chairman described the kidnap of the veteran journalist as unfortunate, assuring the family that the union is strongly with them spiritually and physically.
Emejor, quoting Exodus 14:14-15, said: “It is a temporary challenge. The battle is of the Lord and we shall hold our peace. Ugochukwu is a distinguished professional. He is not the troublesome type. We don’t know why they should kidnap a journalist that is just doing his professional work. They (abductors) should know that they are playing with the handiwork of God. You (immediate family) should have patient. It is a challenge and indeed a temporary one that you are going to overcome.”
Thanking the Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji administration for its concern over the development, Emejor urged heads of security agencies to intensify their efforts at ensuring Eke’s unconditional release.
NUJ Correspondent Chapel chairman Emma Ugwu described Eke’s abduction as shocking, stressing that the incident was coming at a time when it was felt that the government had invested much in curtailing kidnapping.
A member of the victim’s family thanked the delegation for coming to show their support.
He enjoined Nigerians to join the family in praying for Eke’s safety and early return.
Abia State Commissioner of Police Adamu Ibrahim said efforts were ongoing to find Eke.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone C comprising the Southeast councils, has held its third media summit in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, where the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji was honoured with the Man of the Year Award.
Speaking with newsmen during the media summit, the Vice President of the zone, Chris Isiguzo said the annual event, which is part of their social responsibility, will serve as a forum for media practitioners to interface with different arms of government.
Isiguzo said that the forum will be used to create an atmosphere where good governance, media practice and investment as well as the nation’s democratic process will be discussed.
He said, “We will use the forum to create an improved atmosphere for the general well-being of the people because most of us have seen that people of the zone have nowhere to express themselves and there is need for them to have a voice”.
He said that the summit is expected to be used to mobilize captains of industry and other stakeholders on the need for them to invest in the media industry in the South East, stressing that by so doing that the people of the zone will have a voice on national issues.
The vice president of zone C said that the governor of Abia state, Chief Theodore Orji is expected to be the special guest of honour, while the former information minister, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr will deliver the keynote lecture with the theme, ‘Harnessing the Dividends of Nigeria’s Diversity’.
Isiguzo said that the summit will also be used to honour prominent Igbo sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves in different areas of human endeavours for the zone and the country in general.
He said, “Our star award, man of the year went go to Governor Orji and this came after a painstaking look at his achievements as the governor of Abia as well as his performance within the brief period he has held sway as the chairman of the zone’s governor’s forum”.
Isiguzo noted that the governor has made enormous contributions in the socio-political development of the people of the South East, “You can agree with me that his achievements are not in doubt, hence his choice”.
He explained that the summit will be used to showcase the desire of the leadership of the union in the zone to establish a resource centre in the South East, adding that it is expected that funds will be raised for the project to take off.
The IMMEDIATE Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Tribune chapel, Oyo State, Deacon Tunde Ogunesan has joined politics. He is aspiring for the House of Assembly seat in the 2015 general elections.
Ogunesan, who hails from Sepeteri, Saki-East Local Government Area, joined the services of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc in 2007. He later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ogunesan, who has also picked the party’s nomination form to contest the primaries of the party, is a graduate of Mass Communication from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree programme in Communication at the University of Ibadan.
He had also served as the Welfare Officer, Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State chapter and secretary Tribune NUJ chapel, among others.
In a chat with reporters on Monday, Ogunesan said his joining politics was informed by the desire to serve his people.
“I am the least person my colleagues and friends will ever imagine to join politics, but two things influenced my decision. First, God ordained it and secondly, it is a call to represent the people of Sepeteri, especially Saki-East Local Government Area.
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the kidnapped immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali (SAN). Rivers NUJ, through its Chairman, Opaka Dokubo, yesterday in Port Harcourt, stressed that Wali, a Rivers indigene and Port Harcourt-based lawyer, must be released unhurt and without the kidnappers insisting on payment of ransom, before he would regain his freedom.
NUJ in Rivers said: “The kidnap of Barr. Okey Wali, a fine gentleman, who is doing his best for the development of Rivers State and Nigeria, only underscores the abysmal level of moral decadence in our society and the unchecked resurgence of crime and criminality in our state.
“We are calling on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to rise to the occasion and effect the rescue of not only Barr. Wali and all other unlawful captives, but to halt the rise in dangerous crimes and general feelings of insecurity in the state.
“The need to maintain a high level of efficiency by the police and other security agencies has become more imperative, with the growing political activities in the run-up to the 2015 general elections. “We are sounding a clarion call on politicians in Rivers State to guard their utterances and actions in order not to precipitate crisis or aggravate the already-fragile security atmosphere.”
The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has sympathised with journalists on the death of the Vice-Chairman of The SunPublishing Ltd, Mr. Dimgba Igwe.
Nebo, who expressed shock and sadness about the incident in a condolence message, said the sudden death of such a lively, vibrant and purposeful man might seem inexplicable, “but I believe the deceased fulfilled God’s purpose for his life.”
The Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Kande Daniel, said in a statement yesterday.
Nebo attributed Igwe’s death to the carelessness of a hit-and-run driver while he was jogging to keep fit.
Reflecting on the life of the prominent journalist and prolific writer, the message said: “Dimgba Igwe was a gentleman to the core. He did not bury the talent God gave him, but used it well to benefit the human race.
“He was a fearless advocate and a dogged fighter for the good of the society, using his pen, having discovered his talent early enough.
“Like many a Nigerian journalist, Igwe never baulked or shirked the responsibility of telling the truth always, exposing the malfeasance in the society, no matter the cost, as demanded by journalism. What is more, he realised also that God’s expectation of man does not stop at caring for the body alone, but includes the more important injunction of nurturing the spirit. So, he devoted himself to this as well, as a pastor.”
The minister urged journalists to be guided and encouraged by the life of the deceased and thanked God for allowing him to pass through “this side of the globe.”
He added: “The only debt we owe him is to ensure that the fire he ignited in our hearts by his advocacy on the pages of newspapers and on the pulpit is not extinguished with his exit.
“On behalf of my family and the management and workers of the Federal Ministry of Power, I express deep condolences to the Igwe family, the management and workers of The Sun, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on the loss.”
