By Kingsley Chukwuka
The Nigeria Police has advocated for better welfare for Journalists in the country.
Police said Journalists are exposed to same harzard as the Force who are always in the front line of conflict, disaster and health pandemics.
The Force stated this on Tuesday, through an online meeting anchored in Abuja, felicitated by the United Nations, viewed by Journalists across Nigeria as part of activities to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day, set to officially mark on Wednesday May 5, 2021, across the globe.
Speaking for the Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Headquarters Abuja, who is also the spokesman for Police in Nigeria, Mr. Frank Mba, said at the online meeting that Journalists have died while reporting and educating the public on the danger of the novel virus, COVID-19.
Mba who spoke on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali also said the nature of risk Journalists takes in informing the public during unrest was similar to that of the Police who in most cases get killed in the line of duty.
Responding, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Chris Isiguzo cheered the Police and said in addition to the harzard faced by newsmen, more than a hundred Journalists have lost their jobs in the last one year due to economic hardship created by COVID-19.
“Most media organizations in Nigeria who could not cope with the economic hardship layoff many staff who are practicing Journalists in Nigeria”, Isiguzo said.
He noted that a high number of Journalists practicing in the country are being molested, harassed by political public office holders without adequate compensation, lamenting that Nigerian Journalists are yet to fully begin to enjoy true press freedom in the country.
However, the online meeting advocated a free press to enable Journalists prevail on public office holders to be accountable to the citizenry to ensure good governance.
Consequently, the Speaker National House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajibiamila will deliver a public lecture in Abuja on Wednesday to officially mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day, our correspondent gathered.