Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called for a
\ncomprehensive insurance coverage for journalists in the country.<\/p>\n
He also said that it has become imperative for the salaries of media
\npractitioners to be enhanced in order to boost their morale and increase
\ntheir productivity.<\/p>\n
Saraki made these remarks when he Chaired the opening session of
\nthe 5th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of
\nJournalists (NUJ) in Abuja.<\/p>\n
The Senate President who was represented at the event by the Senator
\nrepresenting Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, said that recent events in
\nthe national, cross-border and global polity has undoubtedly put a lot of
\nemphasis on the safety, sustainability, value, rights and moral standing of
\nthe average journalist.<\/p>\n
He noted that journalists put themselves through difficult, often
\nuncharted channels to ensure that democracy has its highest expression.<\/p>\n
Saraki said: “It is thus incumbent on us, the custodians of this democracy,
\nto bring to the fore viewpoints that will enhance the productivity and
\nefforts of these professionals. That is why I associate myself with the
\ncall for journalists to be provided insurance cover by their employers, be
\nit government or private. I also want to canvass enhanced salaries for the
\nprofessionals.<\/p>\n
“However, this demands that journalists through their associations should
\nstrictly enforce adherence to professionalism and code of ethics of their
\nprofession. There must also be penalty for those who violate the ethics or
\nbehave in a manner unbecoming of a professional,” he said.<\/p>\n
He stated that the indubitable influence of the mass media on diverse
\nissues in the society, and the multi-dimensional nature of that influence
\nhas inevitably led to the call for the role of the media with particular
\nemphasis on democracy to be centred keeping the people informed, providing
\ncritical information and setting agenda for the public.<\/p>\n
He said: “However, as seemingly basic as the above roles might seem, the
\nunwavering impact of the attendant consequences cannot be glossed over
\nand so, the effectiveness of the media in discharging these set duties will
\nall but depend on the quality of media personnel, ownership, poverty level,
\nethnicity, civil society, professionalism, ethical and moral orientation of
\nthe media, religion, influences on the media such as powerful groups,
\nadvertisers and public relations people.”<\/p>\n
He said that no nation can underestimate the importance of the media in the
\nart of governance because the roles they play are primarily and centrally
\nplaced in national, regional, and local affairs.<\/p>\n
The Senate President said it is necessary to urgently review the training
\ncurriculum in Journalism institutions to accommodate parliamentary
\njournalism and other necessary skills to prepare potential reporters for
\nchallenges in the area of Legislative Reporting.<\/p>\n
Likewise, according to him, positive developmental and citizen Journalism
\nshould be emphasized by the mass media with a view to fostering national
\nunity, national interest and national cohesion.<\/p>\n
According to him, “It is also worth knowing that beyond the business
\nof governance, which is pivotal to our societal sovereignty, the press also
\ncommands indomitable powers in influencing the economic and social
\ndecisions of the society.<\/p>\n
“It is therefore on all aforementioned assertions that the plea is hinged
\non for the media to heed this democratic call in the discharge of her
\nduties.<\/p>\n
“This in no way undermines the strong commendation I must give the media in
\nthe way and manner it handled this change transition by giving
\nprominence to the Project Nigeria and the plight of her people.<\/p>\n
“I strongly believe that journalism is first and foremost a public trust
\nand one that should be held in the utmost esteem requiring those who hold
\nthis trust, even under extreme circumstance to refrain from its abuse.”<\/p>\n
He commended the NUJ for holding the conference with the theme: “Fostering
\nSafety of Journalists and Building Synergy with Agents of the State.”<\/p>\n
Earlier in his remarks, the outgoing National President of the NUJ, Mallam
\nMohammed Garba, said he was leaving behind a more peaceful union having
\nhelped to restore normalcy to troubled state chapters of the union.<\/p>\n
He said that the leadership of the NUJ, is committed to providing enabling
\nenvironment for journalists so to carry out their professional duties
\nwithout molestation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called for a comprehensive insurance coverage for journalists in the country. He also said that it has become imperative for the salaries of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n