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NUJ President Warns Journalists Against Adopting Unfair Methods

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President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Chris Isiguzo, has advised journalists in Rivers State to refrain from adopting unfair methods to tell their stories.
Isiguzo gave the advice during a one-day workshop on Digital Journalism And Fact-Checking in Port Harcourt, recently.
The workshop was organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Speaking on the topic: ‘Journalism Ethics in an Era of Global Information Disorder’ Isiguzo emphasised that every organisation has its own set of rules and regulations binding on its members that stipulate things that they should do and should not do.
He regretted that due to the prevailing situation In the country, there was a clear disorder in the system which seems to have thrown overboard the ethics of the journalism profession as a result of social media influencers.
Isiguzo stressed that journalists ordinarily are expected to dish out the truth to the people instead of joining the bandwagon, charging them to have respect for the truth and the rights of the public to the truth.
“If you are a journalist and everytime what you dish out does not represent the truth then you are not doing journalism. The proper responsibility of a journalist is that he/she must know the truth and you must dish out the truth. The people’s right is to know the truth as such truth should not be thrown overboard, but must be respected at all time and the rights of the public to the truth”, he said.
The NUJ boss, while explaining what fake news is, warned journalists to be mindful of what happens in their environment in the cause of discharging their responsibility, enjoining them to avoid misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and propaganda as these are capable of turning them against their environment.
He raised some concerns that often times journalists failed to abide by the rules of the profession.
According to him, “Journalists shall use only fair methods to obtain images, information, documents, data and he/she would always report his/her status as a journalist and will refrain from using hidden recordings of images and sounds except where it is impossible for he/her to collect information that is overwhelmingly in the public interest. You are not allowed to use unfair methods”.
He also warned journalists against using inciting words in their stories, saying when journalists ensure the dissemination of information opinion does not contribute to hatred or prejudice, the information you are turning out is not such that is going to pitch people tribes against each other, you don’t report along primordial consideration, religion , ethnicity tribal, partisanship, that is not what you should be doing as a journalist.
On his part, the Director General, Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, listed some challenges facing the Nigeria journalists.
Kashifu, who was represented by the Head of Corporate Affairs of External Relations, Department, NITDA, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, stated that unregulated social media, fake news and toxic contents still top the list.
He noted that, “The digital era has also come with its challenges. One of which is the overbearing presence of of the social media. Of course, the unregulated social media is a free market place where everything goes including fake news, toxic content, hateful and inciting narratives. These are prevalent because there are no gatekeepers or regulators to direct.”
Rivers Holds 2023 Public Service Thanksgiving/Dedication Service Today
The Rivers State Government will today hold the 2023 edition of the Public Service Thanksgiving and dedication Service.
The service, with the theme, “A New Dawn”, is billed to hold by 9am in the State Ministry of Justice Conference hall, State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt.
A memo signed by Dr. Inyingi S. I. Brown, the Director, Service Welfare, for the Head of Services, states that the meeting is restricted to identied cadre of officers.
“I am further directed to add that the Thanksgiving and Dedication Service is restricted to Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Extra Ministerial Departments, General Managers of Government owned corporations, staff on the Directorate cadre, and Department Heads”, the memo stated.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

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Rivers

NSE Members Tasked On National Dev

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Members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, have been urged to work hard towards contributing to national development. This call was made at the recent induction of new members by the Port Harcourt branch of the Society. The induction ceremony was used to formally welcome new members and celebrate its elevated new fellows.
Speaking during the ceremony held a in Port Harcourt, the Branch Chairman, Engr. Idaeresoari Ateke Harriet, FNSE, called on members of the NSE to actively participate in the Society’s professional and technical activities in order to contribute meaningfully to national development. He congratulated the new inductees, describing their admission as a testament to their hard work and resilience.
Engr. Ateke also commended the new Fellows for their immense contributions to the engineering profession, reminding them that their elevation is a call to greater responsibility as mentors and role models.
The event featured a lecture by Engr. Prof. Steve Odi-Owei, FNSE, on “Opportunities and Challenges in Nigeria’s Blue Economy.” The Chairman noted that Nigeria’s maritime and aquatic resources remain largely untapped, adding that engineers have a crucial role to play in harnessing these resources for economic growth and environmental sustainability.
He thanked the first female President of NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE, other dignitaries, sponsors, and families of inductees for gracing the occasion.
Also, engineers, especially those in Rivers State have been advised to adhere strictly to the core ethics of the profession and to always uphold the professional ethics of the body.
This advice was given by an engineering expert, Basoene Benibo, in an interview with at the sidelines of the  induction ceremony and Fellowship celebration of the Port Harcourt Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Benibo stressed the need for young engineers in the state to learn and improve on their skills by tapping from the wealth of experience of older professionals in the field to enable them excel.
 Benibo, who is a one-time Chairman of the Port Harcourt Chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, also noted and hailed the efforts of the society in eliminating quackery in the engineering profession.
Some of the new fellows include Prof Jackson Akpa, Pereowei Jose’s and Telema Osima, while the inductees, Engr Mrs Lizzy Onwuso, Engr David Jonathan jnr and Worlu Emmanuel expressed joy in being found worthy to become full NSE members, believing that it would enable them have access to more knowledge, practice rightly and impact the society positively.
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VALVA Restates Commitment Education Advancement, Literacy In Nigeria

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The President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Library Association (NLA), Dr. Dominic Amenaghawon Omokaro, has expressed deep commitment to the advancement of education and literacy in Nigeria through the library system.
Speaking through his state Chairman Dr. Chidara Okachukwu Nyemezu, at the formal Launching/inauguration of the Vanguard for Library Visibility And Advocacy (VALVA) at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt recently, Omokaro discribed the inauguration of the new body as a significant and  passionate movement aimed at shining the spotlight on one of the underappreciated yet critical institution in Nigeria’s educational system and national development.
“We are gathered here not just to launch a group, but to launch a vision and ignite a movement to reinforce a mission to make libraries visible and valuable again for our people”, he said.
Dr. Omokaro stated that the birth of VALVA is based of the recognition that libraries, particularly school libraries, are the bedrock of  promoting a reading and research culture that includes innovation and lifelong learning in the society, though the system is grossly underfunded and poorly equipped in many cases.
He recalled the theme of its first week under his watch, “Library System for National Development in 2022”, which he hinted was driven by the state chapters.
He explained that the inauguration of VALVA shows an important mission to promote the visibility and development with impact on schools and other libraries through strategic advocacy that will advance quality education and foster lifelong learning culture in Nigeria.
“The vision is clear to promote the visibility where every school and indeed every community will have access to a functional library managed by a professional Liberian”, he said.
Speaking with journalists at the sideline of the event, the founder of the VALVA, Dr. Juliet C. Akex-Nmec, stressed that no society can grow without a functional and  effective library.
She urged government at all levels to ensure the establishment of effective and functional libraries across the country.
Dr. Alex-Nmec, who is also an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, Rivers State University, called for the appointment of a Special Adviser on Library matters by the state government in order to assist the government on Library matters.
High point of the event was the formal inaugural of the new body and oath of offices to the new executive.
Akujobi Amadi
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Rivers

Rivers Judiciary Denies Issuing Court Order Stopping SOLAD from Swearing in RSCSC Members

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The Rivers State Judiciary has denied a media report claiming that Justice Frank Onyiri of the State High Court issued an injunction order restraining the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from inaugurating the newly appointed members of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission (RSCSC).

 

In a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of litigation at the High Court, Menenen Poromon (Esq), the state Judiciary disassociated itself from the report, describing it as malicious and fabricated.

 

The statement emphasized that the report was a falsehood and a misrepresentation of what transpeared in the court.

 

Poromon clarified that no such order was issued by Justice Onyiri or any other judge of the High Court of the state and urged the public to disregard the information, as it lacked any iota of truth.

 

The statement however advised the public to verify any information concerning the state Judiciary directly from the office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of the State, to avoid spreading of misinformation.

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