… NGE Standing Committee warns political class, tasks govt on insecurity
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has raised strong concerns over the growing abuse of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act by security agencies, particularly the police, to harass and intimidate journalists across the country, reports ITREALMS.
According to the communiqué signed by NGE President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the Act is being weaponised against journalists, contrary to its original intent of combating cybercrimes such as financial fraud, identity theft and attacks on computer systems.
The editors reminded security agencies that the Ombudsman process set up by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) remains the legitimate mechanism for addressing ethical infractions in journalism.
They cautioned that law enforcement should not be turned into a “tool of oppression, intimidation and harassment,” urging aggrieved parties to channel complaints through the Ombudsman or the courts.
At the same time, the Guild admonished journalists to uphold the Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists and avoid unprofessional practices such as blackmail or defamation.
On the political front, the NGE condemned the rising trend of personal attacks and name-calling among political actors, warning that careless rhetoric “heats up the polity, incites crisis, and threatens peace and security.”
At the same time, the Guild admonished journalists to uphold the Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists and avoid unprofessional practices such as blackmail or defamation.
On the political front, the NGE condemned the rising trend of personal attacks and name-calling among political actors, warning that careless rhetoric “heats up the polity, incites crisis, and threatens peace and security.”
The body urged politicians in both government and opposition to focus on governance, provide solutions to national challenges, and desist from premature discussions about future elections while neglecting their current mandates.
The editors further tasked the three tiers of government to prioritise citizens’ socio-economic wellbeing and security, calling on the federal government and security agencies to intensify efforts against banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and herder-farmer clashes.
ITREALMS Online gathered that the meeting also commended Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, for hosting the Guild and fostering peaceful coexistence among ethnic groups in the state.
The editors further tasked the three tiers of government to prioritise citizens’ socio-economic wellbeing and security, calling on the federal government and security agencies to intensify efforts against banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and herder-farmer clashes.
ITREALMS Online gathered that the meeting also commended Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, for hosting the Guild and fostering peaceful coexistence among ethnic groups in the state.
Uboshe Uboshe/Editor
No comments:
Post a Comment