Former National Vice President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Tims Ejiga, has called on government at all levels to accord the media its due recognition as the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

Ejiga made the call during a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Director-General of Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation (FM 94.1), Hajia Nana Hauwa Yussuff, alongside former national and state officers of the union.

He urged governments to prioritize public-funded media organizations, providing adequate equipment, logistics, and staff welfare to enable them perform optimally.

Ejiga emphasized that as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, after the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary, the media deserves attention and support.

He commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his efforts in repositioning the Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation and urged continued support for the media industry.

“If the media is the Fourth Estate of the Realm in a Democracy after the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, then attention must be paid adequately to public funded government-owned media organisations.”

He observed that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s body language, from the onset, had been that of a restoration governor as within seven months of his administration, he had right some of the wrongs perpetrated by past administrations.

Ejiga further implored Governor Ododo to transform the state broadcasting organization with his “Midas’ Touch” saying, “I believe the state Media industry as a whole deserves restoration.”

He also called for restoration of the Executive Cadre in the Directorate, along with the financial benefits as well as Life Assurance for journalists and media workers in the state saying the job of a journalist is a delicate one.

Speaking earlier, a former chairman of Kogi State Council of the NUJ, Mr Emmanuel Boro urged the new Director General to carry all cadre of staff along and give them sense of belonging to motivate them for higher productivity.

Boro pledged the continued support of the group saying, “we will support you fully to ensure that you succeed. We shall be behind you, before you and by your side.”

Alhaji Adeiza Momoh-Jimoh, General Manager of FRCN, Prime FM 101.5 and immediate past Chairman of Kogi Council called on the state government to provide the new DG with the necessary working tools to enable her excel.

“Like somebody who has been given farmland to farm, she surely needs a hoe and cutlass to work on the farm with good seeds to plant”, he said.

In her response, Hajia Nana Hauwa Yussuff, the newly appointed DG of the Corporation, expressed gratitude to God Almighty and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for the appointment.

She said that God probably gave her the position to change the narrative and the story of Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation as she confessed that news crew of the station used to go to Mount Patti on motor bikes.

The DG however noted that governor Ododo changed the narrative upon assumption office as governor as he quickly approved the release of a Hilux van and a Sienna bus for the station to operate with.

She thanked the veteran journalists for the visit saying that she would not fail them or the government as she pledged to run an open-door policy with an inclusive administration where everyone matters and is given a sense of belonging. (Ends)1

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has tendered his resignation, effective immediately.
In a statement released by the Presidency on Saturday, Ngelale announced that he had submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, informing him of his decision to take an indefinite leave of absence.

Ngelale also resigned from his additional roles as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
He cited medical challenges affecting his immediate and nuclear family as the reason for his resignation.

The statement read, “I have submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to address medical matters affecting my immediate nuclear family.”

Ngelale expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve, acknowledging that the demands of public office require uninterrupted attention.

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

PROF. Olayemi Akinwumi, Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), has charged Media professionals in the country to be constantly abreast of their crucial role of promoting unity in Nigeria rather than dwelling on the diversities.

The Vice Chancellor gave the charge in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the Grand Finale of the 2024 Press Week organised by Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Kogi State Council, in Lokoja.

The erudite Professor who was also the Guest Speaker at the occasion delivered a paper titled: “Diversity and the Role Of The Media In Promoting Unity.”

The Professor of History urged that Media content, especially news stories, should be devoid of ethnic and religion biases as the unassuming public consumes Media outputs without proper scrutiny.

According to him, the political class has entrenched ethnicity and religion in the country’s political landscape to manipulate the electorate, saying that the two forces have jointly retarded the growth of the nation.

He urged journalists to ensure their stories are devoid of ethnic and and religious biases, extricate themselves, be aloof and objective in their reports.

“By the time you are putting yourself in the story, you are putting your ethnicity, you are putting your religion and then, you can’t have a balanced story.

“The Media has a great role to play in promoting unity in this state in particular and Nigeria in general. In terms of ethnic composition, Kogi is a diverse state, in terms of religion, it is also diverse.

“So, I encourage the media to please take themselves away from the stories they are presenting take away their ethnicity they are religion they should be a balanced story it is through this effort that we can promote unity in this country”, he said.

On whether ethnicity and religion has positively affected the state since its creation and the state now better than it was at the beginning, Prof. Akinwumi said no adding that politicians only use them to divide the people.

“Even at national level when they sit down to talk, they don’t talk about ethnicity or religion. It hardly comes into their discussions but when it comes to election issue and one of them falls out of the equation, they bring in these issues.

“This is one area that Journalists can assist to promote unity and make the masses, most of whom are not educated, to see things from different perspectives and stop seeing politics as a war or battle between different ethnic groups in the state.

The Vice Chancellor advised government at all levels to base appointment into leadership positions on merit rather than sentiments above other considerations.

He expressed the fear that if government should maintain and continue in the present direction, ethnicity and religious bigotry would continue to fester. (Ends)