2023: NUJ hosts zonal training for 30 journalists on election coverage in Bauchi

From David Kuvie Bauchi

The Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has selected Bauchi to host a zonal training for 30 journalists on election coverage ahead of the 2023 general election.

Chairman of NUJ, Bauchi State Council, Comrade Umar Said, disclosed this on Saturday, during a training one Day Capacity Building Workshop organised by the Global Centre for Media and Human-Empowerment (GCMHE) on Election coverage in collaboration with the NUJ Bauchi State tate council.

Sa’id explained that Bauchi was chosen to host the zonal training as a result of excellent performance of journalists in the State at the national level capacity building workshops.

He thanked the GCMHE, Nigeria for the capacity training which drew media practitioners drawn from both the print and the electronic media in the state.

He assured that the council was ready to partner with the Centre  and other well meaning organisations to train more journalists on election coverage for the growth and sustainability of the country’s democracy.

The NUJ Chairman urged journalists in the state to exercise caution in the coverage of the forthcoming general election to avoid overheating the polity.

He said the media has a crucial role to play towards peace and development of the country.

Sa’id commended journalists in the state for exhibiting professionalism so far saying no complaints has been received concerning any member in the discharge of their duties.

He assured that saying more trainings would be considered in subsequent would be carried out for journalists on election coverage.

He urged journalists to continue exhibit strong moral standards and uphold the ethics of the profession and used the knowledge acquired in all the various capacity building workshops to promote peaceful election in 2023.

In his remark, Bernadine Ejoh Executive Director of GCMHE, Nigeria, explained that the objective of the workshop, with the theme Media,Politics and National Development, was awaken journalists to understand the enormous responsibility placed on them to shape public opinion.

Ejoh admonished participants of the capacity building workshop to create awareness among the electorate to cultivate the spirit of tolerance of all shades of opinion.

He urged journalists to use their position as the fourth estate of the realm to promote social justice by exercising high professionalism at all time by being guided by the Electoral Law and the Constitution.

He said the media is expected to influence society positively by setting the agenda  for critical issues all times.

In a paper on the topic Media and Politics: the Place of Neutrality, Tom Kubua, publisher of West Africa Monitor, argued that the role of the media in strengthening democracy is to be an effective umpire in order to serve the interest of the public.