From: Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has reiterated it’s commitment to conduct training programmes for working journalists in the state in order to equip them with professional skills in line with best global practice.
The State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed stated this on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the 2020 NUJ press week/ Award presentation and Launching of magazine, that held at the Command Guest House, Bauchi.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barrister Mohammed Ibrahim Alkasim, the governor said that journalists and his administration has been partners in progress through the coverage of the activities of the goverment.
He said journalists as the fourth estate of the realm, needs to be on their toes, especially in a competitive world, to perform their duties effectively and efficiently.
According to him,”The government has been following your activities since the commencement of the press week and observe your unity, passion and dedication to your profession.However, you must not be carried away by your successes, you should indentify your laspes in order to make amends where necessary”.
Governor Mohammed said that his administration will revive all the state media organizations in order to restore their glory in order to create more awareness on government programmes and policies, adding that already, the paper work for the commencement of the NUJ reconstruction project has been finalized through cooperate social responsibility.
He congratulated the NUJ for a planning a successful press week and recipients of awards during the event, saying that the government will continue to support and improve the welfare of working journalists in the state.
Also Speaking in his address, the State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon Dayyabu Chiroma, said that the media is a critical institution of the society, that has the power to change the perspective of the society through the dissemination of the right information.
He said that the state government is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that it’s state owned media organizations meet up with the current digitization switch over in order to meet up with best global practices.
The Commissioner who noted that Bauchi state remains the most peaceful state in the North-east region, despite security challenges that has bedeviled the North-east region, called on journalists in the state to partner with the state government in maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the state.
Earlier in his address, the State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Umar Sa’idu said that the press week was an annual gathering of members of the union in the state in order to foster unity among it’s members, access performances of outstanding members and stakeholders in the state as well as give a sense of belonging to practicing journalists in the state.
While saying that the NUJ has conducted training for over 200 of it’s members to equip them with modern skills of the proffession, the Chairman called on the state government to include members of the union in all it’s trainings, so that journalists in the state can meet up with best global practices.
He said that the NUJ in the state constituted a Commitee to access the challenges of state media organizations with a view of giving a comprehensive report to the government on it’s findings, calling on the goverment to expedite action on the report just as he commended the state government for operating an open door policy which gave journalists in the state free access to all projects executed by the government.
