Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has cautioned members against taking sides as the November 11 governorship election in the state draws near.
In a statement issued in Lokoja on Tuesday, NUJ frowned at the very unprofessional conducts and outburst of some group of people who claimed to be journalists which was at variance with the core values of the profession.
The statement signed by Adeiza Momohjimoh and Ademu Seidu, Chairman and Secretary respectively, called on every journalist worth his salt to adhere to the ethics of the profession.
“One of the core values of journalism is objectivity. Journalism has taken flight of any journalist who sacrifices this for ethnic, religious and others primordial considerations.
“It is rather unfortunate that some people under the aegis of Journalists’ association could come to the public place to brazenly promote their ethnic and political bias not minding the dangerous consequences of such action.
“The Kogi council of the Union is made up of journalists from all the ethnic groups in the state and even from other states of the federation and we are blind to any sectional groups in the Union if at all they exist.
“The submission of the council therefore is that the current government led by His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has surpassed the achievements of its predecessors in the areas of roads infrastructure, education and health care delivery.
“Since no one government can solve the problems of its citizens within the specific tenures, it is expected that the electorate perform their civic duty of electing people who will further advance the achievements recorded,” the statement read.
Kogi NUJ called on the people of the state to come out enmasse to vote for candidates of their choice come Saturday and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as government to provide the enabling environment for a peaceful, credible and transparent election.
