By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Participants at a two day training workshop for journalists and Civil Society Organizations in the North East Zone have called on media practitioners to shun fake news and enhance their conflict sensitive reportage of the 2023 general elections.
The participants made their resolved known in a communique issued and signed by the Vice President of the NUJ, North East Zone, Mr. Zare Baba.
The workshop which has the theme: “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting and Countering Fake News and 2023 General Elections”, was held on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
The participants also recommended that journalists should endeavour to report objectively election results accurately as announced by the electoral body, INEC which is the only authority empowered by law to announce all election results across the country not rumour or inaccurate and unfounded election results from unauthorized body or source.
They however applauded INEC, CDD and NUJ National Headquarters for their openness and media friendly posture in training journalists and CSOs on the challenges and consequences of election results to ensure free, fair , acceptable and credible elections in Nigeria.
The communique issued at the end of the training workshop further condemned attacks and vandalization of INEC facilities in parts of the country.
The participants called on INEC to beef up security provision for safety of election personnel, electoral materials as well as journalists and others monitoring the elections.
The participants also urged politicians to play the game of politics or electioneerng campaigns according to the rules and regulations guiding elections and desist from using hate speeches, threats and attacks on political opponents or rivals to overheat the polity, but rather they should play their politics on issue based campaigns as the best option to sustain credible and sustainable democracy in the country.
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Participants also called on proprietors of media houses to put all the necessary mechanism to improve the welfare of journalists working for the 2023 general election.
The communique further urged NUJ leadership in all states of the federation to liaise with INEC in ensuring that genuine journalists are accredited ahead of the forthcoming general election while ensuring the rights of the journalists are protected for peaceful and credible media coverage.
The participants also suggested for proper voters education , advocacy and sensitization of the citizens regarding the election laws and processes.
