Osoba, Ogun CP, others counsel journalists at BJAN launch

…New association ignores NUJ threat

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NIGERIA: DESPITE threat by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcast Journalists’ Association of Nigeria (BJAN) on Monday inaugurated its association where ex-Ogun State Governor, Chief Segun Osoba, urged journalists in the country to be objective.

The former Governor, who spoke at the event held in Abeokuta to also mark the 2016 World Television Day, advised them to always consider the national interest uppermost in their reporting of news.

Osoba stated that journalists, whether in the broadcast or the print media, must uphold the truth, objectivity and national interest, as the watchdogs of the society.

omunity “Whatever you are doing as a journalist, you must allow objectivity, truth and national interest to always prevail as the watchdog of the country,” the former Governor, who was represented by a one-time member of the House of Representatives, Adekunle Adeyemi, stressed.

Osoba explained that as a one-time journalist he would continue to associate with good causes by media practitioners.

Also speaking, Mr. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju the Guest Lecturer, who described television as a powerful medium, bemoaned the level of commercialisation of news in the country.

According to Kolade-Otitoju, who is the Head, TVC News and the former Editor, The News Magazine, news coverage in many privately-owned stations became commercialised due to owners’ interest to make profit.

He explained that the overwhelming influence of such media proprietors on the news managers had made it difficult for them to be in tune with the code of ethics of the National Broadcasting Commission.

“It is quite painful that in many privately owned television houses, news is a commercialised product, because the owners of such television stations want to make profit,” Kolade-Otitoju, who spoke on “Media commercialisation and objectivity in Television News and Programmes in Nigeria,” stressed.

“They fail to follow the rule of the National Broadcasting Commission on the requirement that a differentiation been made between news and commercials,” he also said, adding: “Television stations now present those commercials as news.”

Kolade-Otitoju also emphasised that many television stations engage in “strategic mutual partnerships” with state governments for survival.

This development, according to him, would lead to reporting of only positive stories about the government.

But, Kolade-Otitoju, however, charged journalists not to lose focus in their responsibility to the society as watchdogs.

The Coordinator, Mass Communication Department of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, Dr. Yemi Obalanlege, charged Nigeria to ensure it meets the digital switch over deadline in broadcasting.

Obalanlege, who spoke on the theme “Digital Switch Over and The Future of Television News in Nigeria,” said that taking such immediate step would make the country to avoid being dumping ground for other foreign countries.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dayo Adeneye, who was represented by the Director of Production Services, Mr. Abiodun Awere, appealed to the media to always put professionalism and patriotism into consideration in their reportage.

Also, the state Police Commissioner, Ahmed Iliyasu, stated that the media are strategic partners in nation building.

Iliyasu advised journalists to always put the peace and tranquility of the country into consideration in their coverage and reporting of news.

While welcoming the guests, the president of BJAN, Kazeem Olowe, assured that the broadcast journalists would continue to be people’s advocate and promoter of truth, fairness, justice and equality.

“We will continue to write credible reports, serve as watchdogs in the society and remain committed to promotion of professional standard,” Olowe maintained.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) had described the BJAN as an illegal body that should not be associated with, at the time the association said that it was determined to go ahead with its launch despite the threat.

Olowe had said last Friday in a news release that the birth of the association was as a result of the broadcast journalists being edged out under the umbrella of NUJ.

He stated that the World Television Day which was initially planned to be celebrated under the aegis of Broadcast Chapel, Ogun NUJ still hold.

Olowe stated that the day would be celebrated under the name of the BJAN, while also urging all broadcast journalists who have been kicked out of the NUJ to join the new association.

The body is open to all broadcast journalists in Nigeria irrespective of their place of work, he said, adding that the World Television Day celebration will provide journalists and the public the opportunity of knowing more about digital switch over and the challenges confronting television news managers in the country.

But the peeved NUJ described the association as an illegal body, and urged the security agencies to prevent it from operating in the state.

In a letter dated November 18, 2016 entitled “Disclaimer – Broadcast Chapel NUJ Ogun State Council” and signed by National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, the NUJ said that it had not approved the association, hence it cannot function as a legal body for journalists in the Gateway State.

It said: “This is to inform all media stakeholders, members of the public and law enforcement agents of the illegal operation of a body referred to as ‘Broadcast Chapel’ of the NUJ in Ogun State.

“The illicit group which is not an arm of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) is planning to organise programmes including awards and media conferences under the umbrella of NUJ.  This is illegal and organisers are Mercenaries and should be treated as such. “

The NUJ added: “We wish to draw the attention of the suspecting members of the public to the activities of the so called Broadcast Chapel as it is not approved by the Union.

“The only Chapel of the Correspondents in Ogun State is the Correspondents Chapel approved for Correspondents as indicated in the NUJ Constitution, Article 5 (G) (1).”

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists hereby calls the attention of the security agents to this illegal body for necessary action, please,” it stressed.

Earlier, the Zone B of the NUJ had declared that the chapel was “alien to the Union Constitution.”

“Sequence to this, you are hereby directed to reverse the decision with immediate effect,” the zone said in a letter to the Ogun NUJ Chairman and Secretary, dated October 5, 2016.

The letter signed by the Vice President, Cosmos Olalekan Oni, added: “The said chapel is hereby declared null and void, hence, status quo remain at the chapel.”

It stressed: “Also, Article 5 (G) (2) clearly stated who belongs to the Correspondents Chapel while those people from STV, TVC, MTV, MITV, AIT their organisations are not Unionised, hence, they are not to possess the Identity Card of the Union, if any of them have it, it is fraudulently processed and should be retrieved with immediate effect.”

The NUJ in the zone, however, warned the Ogun Council on its earlier recognition of the new association, saying that the council should “be guided by the Constitution of the Union on your future decision.”