Journalists have been urged to uphold ethical Principles, while Reporting and Covering the forth coming General Elections, for Peaceful Coexistence and Development of the nation.
Minister of State, Works and Housing, Alhaji Umar El-Yakub made the call, during the closing Ceremony of a two day Workshop, organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ministry of information Chapel, Kano.
According to him, Journalists have a vital role to play, due to their critical duties of informing the public ,on issues regarding the General Elections.
The Minister Pointed out that, Media Practitioners have to be extra careful, while handling delicate issues like Election Coverage in a multi cultural society like Nigeria.
He urged local Government Information Officers, to display high sense of Professionalism while updating the Public on situation report of elections, and announcement of results,noting that ,people heavily rely on the Media, as the Major Source of Credible information.
Alhaji Umar El- Yakub described the workshop as apt, and commended the Information Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kano for initiating the the workshop.
In a remark, Kano State Commissioner of Information, Comrade Muhammad Garba, urged Participants to make Judicious use of the knowledge gained.
Comrade Muhammad Garba who was represented by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Sani Yola, assured information officers of the ministry’s support, adding that the Commissioner as a Professional Journalist, had Prioritized information officers at both MDA’s and Local Government Levels
.
Earlier in a remark, Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Abbas Ibrahim Maintained that the workshop paved way for information Officers, to avail themselves with new trend of Information Technology, in election reportage, highlighting that, such initiative from the Chapel should be emulated by others.
At a closing remark, the Chairman of Kano State Ministry of Information, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Suleiman Abdullahi Dederi said, the genesis of staging the workshop was to motivate Information officers, on their roles before, during, and after the general elections.
He appreciated the State Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Umar El Yakub for Sponsoring the Workshop.
The Commissioner of Information, NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim are among the Participants.
Series of Papers were presented by resource persons, which dwelt on the strategies and modalities of elections coverage in accordance with ethical principles of Journalism.
COV/KHADIJAH ALIYU