Nigeria’s Unity Threatened By Quack Journalists – NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) wants the management of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to stop the activities of quack journalists in the country.

In a statement issued by NHRC’s Deputy Director Public Affairs, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, on Monday, the Commission’s Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu noted that “quacks” in the media sector were a threat to the country’s unity.

Ojukwu said, “authorities of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ)” are “to put effective modalities in place to get rid of quacks in the system, adding that such quacks practice the profession in a wrong way thereby perpetrating fake news, hate speech, and other unethical conduct which are capable of causing national disunity.”

Speaking in commemoration of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), Ojukwu further appreciated the media for effectively holding government and relevant stakeholders to account whenever they digressed.

 “It is therefore instructive that the media which has remained an agent of socialisation could rightly be deployed to drive government policies and programmes to the grassroots level,” Ojukwu added.

However, he frowned on the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) for reportedly using its powers to sanction media houses who provide information to Nigerians.

“Similarly, we stand with Civil Society to condemn the attempts of some parliamentarians to pass bills restricting social media and civic space. We also stand with civil society to condemn attempts by NBC to impose excessive fines on media houses for activities based on information to the citizens”, the Executive Secretary said

He also urged the United Nations (UN) to ensure that laws were passed among nations whereby journalists are captured in life, hazard and health insurance policy.

“This would ensure that families of any deceased or maimed journalists are given the social security protection that they deserve”, Ojukwu added.