Yobe Correspondents boycott Govt activities
The Correspondents’ Chapel, (NUJ) Yobe State, in its emergency meeting held on Friday, has resolved to boycott all state government’s activities due to harassment.
According to a press statement obtained by Periscope Nigeria, the group bemoaned intimidation faced by journalists working in the Government House.
The group also lamented the failure of Governor Buni’s handlers to allow them easy access with the Yobe State helmsman.
The statement disclosed that the coming election is very critical in Nigeria’s democracy and would be a fatal mistake in an attempting to circumvent the media.
The statement partly said, “Intimidation and harassment of its members by security operatives attached to the government house.
“Lack of formal invitation to government activities.
“As members of the Fourth Estate of realm, part of our responsibilities is to inform the public on happenings in the state including the government house.
“Regrettably, however, for over a year of the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni, the chapel has never received any formal invitation for coverage by the Governor’s spokesman, Alhaji Mamman Muhammed, as it was the practice in the past.
While noting the negative impact of not having access, the group said it affected the operations of representatives of national media dailies operating in the State.
“Lack of accessibility to Governor Mai Mala Buni by working journalists in the state.
“The chapel finds it disturbing, that despite the governor’s historic reign as APC Extraordinary Caretaker National Chairman and being a Governor for over 3 years where he has been addressing the Press at Abuja and other parts of the country but never addressed National Dailies in his own state to speak on his administration’s policies and programmes which demonstrates his inaccessibility to resident journalists.
“The chapel also resolves that its members are to desist from using press releases issued from Yobe State government without prior contact with our members.
“The chapel calls on heads of security agencies in the state to sensitise their personnel on media security relation.
“The chapel finds it necessary to take this critical decision,in other to alert relevant stakeholders and appropriate authorities to take decisive action towards addressing the above issues amicably,” the statement added.
