The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kogi State Council, Alhaji Adeiza Momohjimoh, has urged politicians in the state to ensure that they conduct issues based campaigns in the forthcoming governorship election. and stop casting aspersion on members of the Union on reportage of political activities in the state.
The NUJ chairman gave the advice on Friday in Lokoja when he played host to the Executive Directors and members of the foremost support group, the Ododo Support Organisation (OSO), who were in his office on a courtesy visit.
Alh. Momohjimoh said that some crops of politicians accusing journalists in the state of reports they believed were not favourable to them had no moral justification for their damaging remarks on members of the fourth estate of the realm.
According to the chairman, journalists in the state have no preferred candidates in their reportage of political activities in the state as being erroneously expressed in some quarters in the state.
He said that all the candidates in the November 11, governorship election, irrespective of their political party, are welcome at the Kogi Press Centre, to tell members of the press about their manifesto for adequate and objective reporting.
MomohJimoh, however, advised politicians yet to visit the centre to come forward, assuring them that they would receive equal and adequate publicity.
According to the state NUJ chairman, there is nothing journalists can do unless such politicians make themselves available to them, telling them of their promises to the electorate for onward dissemination to the public. MomohJimoh, however, advised politicians to dwell on issue-based campaign and not ethnicity inclined to ensure a peaceful election, come November 11.
He commended OSO for aligning itself with the concept of a peaceful and issue-based campaign and urged its members to continue and enhance such tempo of political activity.
The NUJ chairman, who promised that journalists would synergise with the Ododo Support Organisation to achieve its aims and objectives, reminded politicians that ethnic colouration, especially on political activities, was alien to Kogites.
Earlier, in his address, the Director General of OSO, Engr. Suleiman Aminu Adaira, said the Executive Directors and members of the organisation were in the NUJ Chairman’s office, as part of the media houses familiarization tour.
He informed the NUJ Chairman on their activities and sought to create synergy with journalists in the state for the electoral victory of their principal and governorship candidate of APC, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The Director General, who was represented by the Director, Door to Door Campaign of the Organisation, Engr. Muftau Ogueyi disclosed the composition of the Organisation and the primary task of each of the 18 laden directorates saddled with different responsibilities, towards ensuring the electoral victory of her Principal in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
He, therefore, solicited the cooperation of members of the union for effective media coverage of its activities and for the realization of the aims and objectives of the organisation.
