Journalists Boycott Government Activities On Alleged Intimidation And Harassment By Security Agents In Yobe

The Correspondents’ Chapel, (NUJ) Yobe State has resolved to boycott all state government activities in the state alleging intimidation and harassment of its members by security operatives attached to the government house.

The Chapel also alleged that there is a lack of formal invitations to government activities by handlers of information in the state.

A statement from the Chapel also reads: “As members of the Fourth Estate of the realm, part of our responsibilities is to inform the public on happenings in the state including the government house.

“Regrettably, however, for over a year of the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni, the chapel has never received any formal invitation for coverage by the Governor’s spokesman, Mamman Muhammed, as it was the practice in the past.

“This has negatively affected the operations of representatives of national media dailies operating in the state.

“Lack of accessibility to Governor Mai Mala Buni by working journalists in the state.

“The chapel finds it disturbing, that despite the governor’s historic reign as APC Extraordinary Caretaker National Chairman and being a Governor for over 3 years where he has been addressing the Press at Abuja and other parts of the country but never addressed National Dailies in his own state to speak on his administration’s policies and programmes which demonstrates his inaccessibility to resident journalists.

“The chapel also resolves that its members are to desist from using press releases issued from the Yobe State government without prior contact with our members.

“The chapel calls on heads of security agencies in the state to sensitise their personnel on media security relations.

“The chapel finds it necessary to take this critical decision, in other to alert relevant stakeholders and appropriate authorities to take decisive action towards addressing the above issues amicably.

“Finally, the working journalists in Yobe State wish to inform the public and the government of Yobe State that our action should not be judged by sentiment but on the basis of our position as one of the major stakeholders of our democracy.

“It is also important to note that the coming election is very critical in our Nation’s democracy and therefore a fatal mistake in an attempting to circumvent the media.”