Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has urged journalists in the country to make national unity sacrosanct in their daily reportage of events.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bagudu gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi on Monday when he declared open the Inaugural National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Babale Umar, the governor stated that the position of journalists in the society was prime.

The governor also urged journalists to always report objectively the developmental efforts of the three tiers of government toward solving the various problems facing the nation.

Bagudu said: ”We are faced with security, economic and political challenges, among others.

”Of more serious concern is the challenge to security and national unity.

”This calls for more concerted efforts by media practitioners and all stakeholders to address these challenges.”

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Haijya Rakiya Ayuba-Haruna, said that the gathering for the NUJ meeting had already assumed a dimension of a unifying factor.

She said: ”It therefore, remains our commitment to continuously uphold this tradition and cherish it for the fact that it has been championing the cause of our unity in diversity.

”The press, popularly known as the ‘fourth estate of the realm’ is saddled with statutory role and responsibility of educating and enlightening people on all matters and issues including government policies and programmes.

”Therefore, the press is the mirror through which government policies, actions and or inactions are viewed, measured, monitored and evaluated.

”For this reason among many others, as press and agenda setters, we need to understand properly the concept of ‘Government Media/Press Relationship’.

”We need to review it holistically and put the wagon back on track.

”We must begin to see government as partners in progress, devoid of political colouration or tribe.”

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Hamisu Garba, the commissioner lamented the nation was being faced with several problems, hence, the press family must team up with all the tiers of government toward solving them.

”As members of the prestigious Nigeria Union of Journalists, individually and collectively, at national and state levels, we need to put hands on deck.

”This is in reporting objectively the developmental objectives of the present administration toward solving the myriad of our state and national problems.

”As newsmen, your position in the society is prime. Therefore, we must refrain from any act capable of endangering national unity.

”We need to team up together and report objectively what can be achieved through consultation and goodwill from among all tiers of government with us as the fourth tier,” Ayuba-Haruna said.

The commissioner commended the governor for being media- friendly and for taking the bold step to digitise Kebbi State-owned Radio and Television stations.

”He has also continued to assist and provide facilities for private and Federal Government-owned media organisations in the state,” she said.

In his remarks, the National President of NUJ, Chief Chris Isizugo, lauded Bagudu for facilitating the Inaugural National Executive Council meeting of the union.

Isiguzo applauded the military operations in the North West region of the country in protecting the people.

”We urge the military to sustain their operations, especially as we are approaching the rainy season, so as to enable farmers have access to their farms without any fear,’’ he said.

The NUJ national president further called for urgent steps to be taken to avert a complete breakdown of law and order.

Isiguzo urged journalists to be careful not to be tempted into propagating fake news.

He said, ”Proper and adequate checks must be ensured before stories are written and transmitted for public consumption.

”While leaders should be held accountable to the people by the media, criticisms should be done in an objective manner, devoid of any sentiments and bias.

”This is the only way we can help sustain our democracy. Distracting leaders from acts of governance through such frivolities and fake news, hate speeches will not auger well for the country.

”Certainly, we cannot contribute meaningfully in the fight against all the societal vices if we fail to purge our ranks of purveyors of hate speech and fake news.

”We, as change agents must embrace development journalism.

”We need to understand that we operate in a developing economy and our strategy should include modalities for lifting our population out of squalor, poverty and ignorance.”

The NUJ President called on the Federal Government to assist the most affected states in the North West with more urgent remedies.

Isiguzo stated that this would ameliorate the hunger that would be experienced this year, because of the limited access to farmlands by farmers.

He said: ”Food security is of vital importance.

”We pray to the Almighty that very soon, we shall witness a more peaceful and more prosperous region.

”Health institutions will be revamped and decayed infrastructure will be restored.