The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Nasarawa State Council has expressed grave concerns over the worsening security situation in some parts of the State.
The council said the deteriorating security situation has led to the kidnapping of several persons, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Barrister Yusuf Musa.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the council’s congress held on Thursday, at the NUJ Press Centre in Lafia.
In the communique signed by Shuaibu Muhammad as Chairman of the Communique Drafting Committee, and Kalu Idika, Secretary, the union called on security agencies to brace up and tackle the ominous trend of security challenges in the State.
“We express grave concerns on the worrisome nature of the security atmosphere in some parts of the state, which led to the recent kidnapping of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Barrister Yusuf Musa, among other numerous persons”, it said.
The Congress nevertheless lauded the commitment of security agencies and called on them to brace up to halt the growing trends of security challenges in the state.
The communique also acknowledged Governor Abdullahi Sule’s determination in addressing security and social issues.
The Union further commended his laudable physical infrastructure development, which, according to the communique, has given the state a facelift.
Members described as fake, baseless and mischievous the news alleging the collapse of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Interchange, commonly known as the Lafia flyover and underpass.
They observed a one-minute silence in honor of the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, commending the government and Nigerians for honoring the late Nigerian leader.
The council called on politicians and philanthropists to support the NUJ Secretariat by completing its ongoing structures, maintaining that a safe, secure facility promotes a better work mindset.
The communique also appealed to journalists to be up-to-date in the payment of their yearly practicing fee to the National Headquarters and appreciated the National President of the union, Comrade Alhasan Yahaya, for appointing Comrade Hadiza Umar as the new Zonal Trustee.
In other resolutions, the congress inaugurated an enforcement committee to tackle the indiscriminate use of NUJ and press stickers on private and commercial vehicles and to cooperate with security agencies to flush out quacks impersonating as journalists and extorting members of the public.
They urged journalists to adhere to the ethics of the profession and hold public officers accountable, and inaugurated the North-Central Zonal Office Chapel (FRCN) as a chapel of the NUJ, having met the requirements of the Constitution and been approved by the National Secretariat.
