 |
| Journalist conducting an interview used to illustrate the story |
According to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), it is making every effort to secure the liberation and justice of imprisoned journalists.
This was said by Adeleye Ajayi, the chairman of the Lagos State NUJ, on the sidelines of the eighth Safety and Security Watch Symposium on Wednesday.
In observance of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the conference was organised.
The celebration's theme for this year is "Protecting Media to Protect Democracy."
Mr. Ajayi criticised the government's inability to identify or bring criminal charges against those responsible for previous journalistic assassinations, stating that it was time for the government to take drastic action to put an end to impunity for such crimes.
He noted that three journalists were in jail in Lagos, adding that the union had intensified efforts through engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure their quick release.
Mr Ajayi stressed that the union would no longer tolerate violence against its members, adding that continuous awareness against vices, killings and attacks against journalists had been intensified.
The NUJ leader noted that journalists are the conscience of the society, monitoring the government’s actions and are critical to the sustenance of democracy.
Besides, panellists at the symposium called for training and retraining of journalists to grow their capacity and equip them with knowledge of physical safety measures and trauma management.
They also called for adequate remuneration for all categories of journalists and prompt payment of salaries by media owners to safeguard practitioners from engaging in unwholesome activities for survival.
The panellists called on the public and all tiers of government to respect the media as people who were doing hazardous jobs to perform their constitutional responsibility.
(NAN)