DG NILDS Calls On Newly Elected NUJ Leadership to End Quackery in Journalism Practice

By Chinedu Echianu

The Director General National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, National Assembly, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has congratulated Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi on his victory at the recently concluded 8th Triennial Conference held in Imo State where he emerged as the National President of the Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ).

Professor Sulaiman who gave the congratulatory message in a statement signed by his Media Adviser Mohammad Abdulkadri, advised Abdullahi to be magnanimous in victory by extending arms of friendship, fellowship, and comradeship to those who contested the election with him but gallantly lost the race.

He said as the number one journalist leading the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the onus is on him (Abdullahi) not only to lead by example but also to carefully navigate his new areas of responsibility with a proven high sense of responsibility, dignity, integrity, humility and accountability while distancing himself and his administration from the winner- takes- all syndrome which could sow seeds of discord among members.

While setting a new agenda for Abdullahi to flush out quackery in the journalism profession, he tasked him to deploy an innovative leadership style for which history has beckoned and bestowed on him to embrace professionally, through the promotion of Peace Building Mechanisms, Developmental and Solutions Journalism practices that will portray the country in positive light in the international arena which expectedly will be a radical departure from the regime of portraying the nation in bad light to the outside world.

The NILDS Boss said the NUJ President should make nationalistic and patriotic ethos his watchwords in championing robust journalism etiquette among members and mend fences where it is necessary as well as strengthen the Democratic Institutions through balanced reportage and objective editorials.

The media-friendly Director General, therefore, once again congratulated the NUJ president and other elected officials and wished them successful tours of duty in their new assignment towards pushing for collective resolve and National aspirations to end the lingering insecurity in parts of the country and in building a virile nation with the powers of their pens which are proverbially said to be mightier than the swords.