NUJ Group Challenges Enugu Speaker

NUJ Group Challenges Enugu Speaker

THE Integrity Group of the Enugu State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has challenged the Speaker of State House of Assembly, Barrister Eugene Odoh, denial of last week endorsement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The challenge was contained in statement by the group and signed by its Chairman, Mr. Ita Etim, in its reaction to media reports credited to the leadership of the Enugu State House of Assembly that the house was misqouted.

The challenged the Speaker of the House, Barrister Eugene Odoh, to publish the unedited version of the House proceedings during a special session of the house when Atiku visited the assembly on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) or the African Independent Television, AIT.

According to the group, Odoh allegation that journalists covering the assembly were paid money to write that the House endorsed Atiku by a rival political group in the state was cheap blackmail and slanderous

The reporters asked Odoh to tell the public whether Atiku publicly said on the floor that the Speaker secretly visited the presidential aspirant when he visited the state before that day.
The group demanded that since Odoh went on air to describe journalists in the state as "yahoo yahoo" reporters; he should also use the same medium to publish an unedited version of the visit so that the public can judge between the legislators and journalists who are lying.

Odoh, the statement demanded, should tendered unreserved apology, published in national papers and electronic if he cannot made that day's sitting public.

The statement decried the practice where public officers accused journalists of misquoting them when statements they made willing attract negative responses or public outrage.

The group observed that despite the good working relationship between the house and journalists, the Speaker can turn around to accused the media of unfair and bais reporting.
The statement warned the legislators and politicians in the state to desist from blaming journalists for the ongoing intra party crisis in the state chapter of PDP.

Reporters, the group admonished, should strive to observed ethics of the profession by abstaining from reporting rumours as fact and always strive to balance their reports and give opportunity for all parties involved to express their views.

ENDS

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