”For public interest, suspend boycott of govt. activities”-Ex-NUJ VP appeals to Kano Correspondents

By Muhammed Yakubu On Jun 12, 2024

public interest , boycott, ,NUJ , Kano, Correspondents — Comrade Abdulkadir Ahmed Ibrahim

A former Vice President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Comrade Abdulkadir Ahmed Ibrahim has appealed to the Correspondent Chapel of Kano NUJ to withdraw its blacklist order on Kano State government activities in public interest.

Ibrahim popularly called Kwakwatawa, a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors made the appeal in a statement signed on Wednesday.

SolaceBase had reported that the Correspondents Chapel of Kano NUJ on Monday issued a directive to its members to boycott coverages of Kano government activities with immediate effect over alleged ill-treatment.

The statement said the order to boycott Kano government activities by the journalists needed to be withdrawn for professionalism and constitutional burden on the media.

The statement commended both the journalists and the state government with a meeting held on Tuesday with the government side led by the Information Commissioner, Baba Halilu Dantiye and the journalists led by its chairman, Aminu Ahmed Garko where the issues were discussed with the aim of addressing them.

It noted that despite the dialogue, the issues are yet to be addressed and the boycott continues.

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The statement read in part, ‘’As I commend the efforts and concern of the Kano State Commissioner of Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, and the commitment of the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel under Aminu Ahmed Garko in promoting professionalism and defending the interest and welfare of its members, I appeal for a truce.

‘’I equally appeal to the Correspondents’ Chapel to suspend the boycott of coverage of all Kano State government activities and the latest addition that includes the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Emirate Council and all the 44 Local Government Area Councils.

‘’Since the NUJ is a trade union, the Chapel has presented its case and the commissioner has assured that the government will look into the issues with a view to resolving them.

‘’From the other angle of the NUJ as a professional body, it is part of the professional ethics and above all a Constitutional duty for the journalist to keep the public informed about government activities. There shouldn’t be an “Information Lockdown” on the public.

‘’Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that “the Press …. shall at all times be responsible for the accountability of the government to the public”. This is a burden placed on the media and shall be discharged at all times.

‘’Even the Nigeria Labour Congress has considered public interest and suspended its industrial strike on minimum wage while negotiation continues.

‘’In view of the foregoing as a Veteran Journalist, a former State Chairman (1981 to 1983) former National Vice President (1994 to 1997) of the NUJ, a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a former Press Secretary to a former Deputy Governor (Engineer Magaji Abdullahi) who experienced the other side of the government-media relationship, I am appealing to the Kano State Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ to suspend and eventually call off the boycott of all activities of the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Emirate Council and the 44 Local Government Area Councils in Kano State.