The General Manager of
the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC), Mr Celestine Ogolo has charged inductees into the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) to be focused in their studies to be able to graduate with good grades.
He stated that this is the first step towards being guided by the ethnics of journalism which will aid them in practice and ultimately reduce the current rampaging quackery in journalism.
The General Manager, who gave the charge at the 9th induction of students of the Institute on Saturday at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, noted that quackery is a serious problem in journalism practice in Nigeria”.
Represented by the features Editor of The Tide, Mr Victor Tew, the General Manager stated that “it being the training wing of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, has a lot to do in providing what can best be described as a professional compass to guide the students and even practitioners of the profession”.
“They should work out some modalities to check these quacks because, today, you find so many challatans masquarading as Journalists. This is a serious problem,”, he said.
While also cautioning the students, the coordinator of the Port Harcourt Training Centre of IIJ Mr Ibituru I. Pepple advised them not to be carried away by the now fashionable feeling of some journalists who view the practice to fulfil what is popularly known as “stomach infrastructure”.
According to him, journalism is more concerned about the survival of society them the individual journalist.
“So many see journalism as a means to fulfilling their stomach needs. If you had come with the mind that journalism will fulfill that desire, then you have failed.
“Journalism needs dedicated people, persons who will be willing to spare their time not to just better themselves, but to better society, because journalists are mirrows to society. As a mirrow, you must be somebody that is dedicated and upright”, he said.
Also speaking, chairman of the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Mr Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, urged the management and staff of IIJ to do more in terms of the development of the institute, especially in the area of metamorphosing into a monotechnic.
The chairman, who was represented by his secretary, Mr Soibi Max-Alalibo also urged the inductees to not only pass through the school, but also allow the school to pass through them.
“It is only when you allow the school to pass through you in terms of leanring and character that you can rightly say you have truly graduated, he said.
A total of 60 students were inducted into Diploma, Higher Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma courses.

Sogbeba Dokubo