Nigeria Decides 2023: Group task security agencies on safety of Journalists

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By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West Nigeria – Network of Peace Journalists under the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace, (CIPP), programme with coordination from Interfaith Mediation Centre, (IMC) – Kaduna, has expressed satisfaction on the just concluded one-day engagement with Media Practitioners in Kaduna on Wednesday towards coverage of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
The group emphasized on the need for stakeholders to support and give protection to journalists that would be covering the elections at various communities and locations.
A statement on Thursday, February 16, 2023, signed by Team Lead of the Network, Ibrahima Yakubu, made available to newsmen in Kaduna, thanked Mercy Corps and IMC, partners with other stakeholders on the CIPP for organizing the event which according to him has availed  journalists on the culture and ethics of peace journalism.
The Network encourage other non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations to sensitize the general public on the dangers associated with hate speech, vote buying and thuggery among youth groups.
According to him, Media Practitioners in the country should sensitize and educate Nigerians not to see the 2023 general elections as a do or die affair.
“Media owners in Kaduna State and the country should support and equip their reporters with modern equipments to enable them discharge their duty effectively during the coverage of the general elections.
“We call on security agencies including para-military and the communities to provide security to all the journalists, when covering the general elections at Polling Units, (PUs) before, during and after the elections.
“Religious leaders should not use their sermons and congregation to preach disunity during, before and after the elections, so as not to cause division among fellow citizens in the country,” the statement cautioned.
The Network thanked Mercy Corps and IMC for spending 3 years of monthly peace journalism training  media which has contributed immensely towards promoting interreligious tolerance and better understanding among different faith base organizations in the country.
“Over 1000 Nigerian Journalists  received the monthly training,” the statement added.

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