Chairman of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, has called on the United Nations to strengthen global policies for the protection of journalists.
Comrade Ahmed, made the call while speaking to newsmen in Ilorin.
He described the media as the lubricant of democracy and cautioned that democracy itself is weakened when media practitioners are exposed to danger.
The Chairman stressed that no system of government can thrive without journalists who inform the public and hold leaders to account.
He condemned the rising cases of harassment, incarceration and killings of journalists worldwide as recent deaths of six reporters in Gaza as an example of the hazards facing media workers.
The NUJ Chief lamented that while journalists in advanced countries enjoy mouth watering welfare packages and institutional protection, reverse is the case for their Nigerian counterparts, who struggle with poor pay, irregular allowances and lack of insurance cover.
Comrade Ahmed said it is unacceptable that those who work like elephants feed like ants as media endowment fund and a dedicated media salary structure are long overdue to boost morale and safeguard professionalism.
He also expressed concern about the rise of journalism without borders, where untrained individuals spread unverified information through social media.
According to him, the trend has eroded professionalism and weakened public trust in credible news sources.
On the Cybercrime Act, Comrade Ahmed noted that while democracy permits freedom of expression, rights must be exercised responsibly. .
He cautioned journalists and citizens alike to avoid libel, slander and defamation under the guise of free speech.
The NUJ Chairman also criticized the federal government’s handling of its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said the claim that the deal is only a draft ridicules Nigeria before the international community.
The senior journalist also urged the Kwara State government to ban the controversial signing-out ceremonies in secondary schools, which he described as a “joy killer” due to the immorality and recklessness often associated with them.
In the same vein, he called for a ban on graduation parties in pre-primary and primary schools and argued that they place unnecessary financial pressure on parents.
