The Acting Governor of Zamfara, Mallam Ibrahim Wakkala, on Thursday in Gusau expressed worries over the maltreatment and molestation journalists suffer in the country.
Wakkala expressed the concern while receiving a petition titled “Protection of Nigerian Journalists” signed by the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Abdulwaheed Odusile.
NUJ acting Chairman in the state, Comrade Abubakar Ahmed, had led his colleagues to protest the attacks and molestation meted to journalists in the country as directed by the national leadership of the union.
The acting governor, represented by the Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Sanda Kwatarkwashi, received the letter from the acting NUJ chairman.
He promised to deliver the letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and appealed to Nigerians to always see journalists as partners in progress.
Wakkala said, “it is unfortunate to see that despite roles played by journalists in improving our society and checking excesses of our leaders, some people feel threatened.
“They resolve to harass, intimidate and use their powers to deny journalists the right to carry out their legitimate duties.
“We thank God that in Zamfara, we have, especially under the present leadership of Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, maintained a cordial working relationship with practising journalists.
“This has yielded positive results to the development of the state,” he said.
Earlier, the state NUJ acting chairman said that the protest was in response to the directive of the national leadership of the union to all state councils to carry out the peaceful protest.
Ahmed said the protest was organised to create awareness on the hazards faced by media practitioners in the country.
He said that journalists suffered in the hands of security agents, politicians and political thugs among others, a situation which must be reversed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the acting chairman had earlier addressed the state congress of the union.
Some of the members carried placards with inscriptions such as “enough is enough,” “journalism is not a crime and “journalists are partners in progress,” among others.
