Stop Dragging Journalists in The Mud Over Your Ill-Luck, Kogi NUJ Warns Politicians
By:Abubakar S. H
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kogi State chapter has cautioned the politicians in the state not to drag working Journalists into whatever squabble they may be contending with within its fold.
The Chairman of the Union, Comrade Adeiza Momohjimoh while addressing members on Sunday at NUJ press centre, Lokoja, said no politician should drag the union into murky political waters.
” Our attention has been drawn to some reports in the media by some overzealous politicians since the conduct of APC governorship primary in Kogi State, trying to condemn the exercise and in a way impugning on the integrity of journalists and our various media houses.
” The report claimed that no election was held anywhere in the state and that results were faked.
“I Therefore want to put the record straight, that our members (journalists) in kogi state went to the field on the election day as usually done on every election day and to monitored the process across the state.
He said that Audio, videos and pictorials evidence of the exercise were gotten from the field by journalists while monitoring the process and reports were sent to various media houses, based on their observations on the field.
He noted that his members were fair enough to report places where voting started early and some other places where there were delay in arrival of electoral materials and officials as it’s typical of Nigerian elections.
“Having monitored and reported the process in our media outlets, journalists converged at the collation center at the State APC secretariat in Lokoja and stayed for some hours in the morning of Saturday to also cover the collation and declaration of results.
“For any aggrieved politician to now assert that all these sacrifices done by journalists amounted to colluding to declare concocted results, is not just far from the truth but showing disrespect for journalists and their media organisations.
“For us at the Kogi NUJ, we stand by the reports of journalists as published in their various media outlets on the conduct of the election.
“We want to use this medium to advise our politicians to use the normal process of seeking redress whenever the outcome of elections are not favourable to them rather than resorting to blackmail and attempt to pulldown syndrome.
“I wish to also urge all journalists in the state to continue to uphold the ethical standards of the profession throughout this election season and beyond” He said.
” Politicians unjustifiably attribute their misfortune to anyone having nothing to do with them.”
The Chairman however advised aspirants who lost at the primaries, to know that journalists are not and will never be their problems as they go in search of solution to their problems.
