By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
The Borno State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Babakura Abba Jato, has expressed grave concern over the exponential rise in the influence of the social media across the globe.
Jato said in Maiduguri on Monday, November 7, that the influence would lead to humanity’s cataclysmic end, if not checked.
The commissioner was speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop, organized by the Borno State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in collaboration with the British Council.
Themed ‘Promoting Safety of Journalists In Post-Conflict Era,’ the workshop was also to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, which is globally celebrated on 2nd November every year.
He said, “Majority of conflicts rocking the globe now have roots in social media dissemination. By the time the social media gains more influence, that could mark the beginning of the end of the world.”
Jato drew attention to the growing global patronage of fake news, disseminated through the social media, describing the situation as unfortunate for humanity.
He added, “We should collectively fight the menace of the social media.”
He called on journalists to defend, protect and sustain the tradition of true journalism against the social media.
The lead-presenter at the workshop, Prof. Danjuma Gambo, the Director of Radio, University of Maiduguri, charged journalists to arrive at consensus about reporting post-conflict era.
Prof Gambo said, “Journalists seen vaccinated against reporting post-conflict, and journalists in Borno are so much used to reporting monumental killings and destructions by Boko Haram insurgents, that they find it difficult to report a lesser proportion killings and destructions as well as the implementation of post-conflict policies and programmes, with the gradual restoration of peace and security.
“Journalists in Borno State should now change their mindset and think outside the box about conflict reporting.”
Also, a don in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, Dr. Dauda Sharafa, said that journalists’ safety and protection to ensure free, fair and credible 2023 general elections is very paramount.
He averred that there are public expectations to provide an independent and verifiable evidences of election results across the country.
He said that election-related protection threats to journalists include confiscation and destruction of equipment and publications, and raiding of media houses by some security agencies.
Unveiling the sources of threats, Dr. Sharafa, in a paper entitled: ‘Safety and Protection of Journalists in the 2023 General Election Coverage,’ said, “State and non-state actors; and the media ownership interests, are the major sources of threats to journalists’ safety and protection.”
He added that political elites, politicians and their thugs, including other criminal elements, constitute threats to journalists.
He said, “The public expectations from journalists, are to expose election malpractices in each of the polling units of the six geopolitical zones in the country.”
He stated that these public expectations could sustain democracy, voters’ education and re-orientation of electorates.
He warned that there could be life-threatening encounters with political thugs, including detentions of journalists by the state actors, including security agencies.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Borno State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Dauda Iliya, expressed his delighted to welcome all stakeholders, including the Theatre Commander, North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, Major General Christopher Musa, the state Police Commissioner, Abdu Usman, who sent in their representatives, graced the occasion.
Iliya siad, “Today marks another milestone in the history of NUJ in the state, as it is the first time Borno State Council is commemorating the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
“The journalism profession in the last two decades has become the most perilous profession, with the rising incidents of terrorism, insurgency, pandemics, political violence and ethno-religious conflict across the globe.
“Nigeria is situated as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to practice in the West African sub-region, this is largely associated with the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, bandits and kidnapping in North-West and North Central parts of the country.
“It is worthy of note that journalists in Borno State, the epicentre of the more than decade-long insurgency, have displayed uncommon gallantry, patriotism and professionalism despite threats, intimidation, assault and harassment in the discharge of their constitutionally assigned duties.”
