By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi.
Bauchi State Government has said that it is not unmindful of the shortage of manpower affecting the state-owned media and it is doing everything possible to reverse the trend.
The State Commissioner of Information, Baba Madugu, expressed the worry that a number of trained and seasoned journalists have left the media on retirement whereas replacements have not yet been made and it makes it difficult for those on ground to operate effectively.
Madugu, who was speaking in Bauchi Monday during the opening ceremony of ‘Media training and Capacity Building Workshop’ as part of the activities marking the Correspondents’ Chapel Week, said the Abubakar-led administration in the state will address the issue of dearth of personnel in the state media houses.
“We are quite aware that a number of our trained and seasoned journalists have left and proper replacements have not been made which makes it very difficult for those on ground to operate properly”, he said.
Alhaji Baba Madugu therefore stressed the need for training and retraining of the workforce as, according to him, the World is dynamic and innovations and programmes are coming up regularly, hence the need for the journalists to remain up to date.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication, Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, had in a goodwill message, said that journalists and government are partners in progress and their relationship is based on trust and mutual respect, stressing that government expects journalists to be co-builders with it towards moving the state forward.
“This administration has from day one restated its commitment to creating a very conducive atmosphere for the practice of journalism in Bauchi state. This resolve has been pursued with singularity of purpose which the state government has shown by being part and parcel of the correspondents’ chapel week”.
Ibn Mohammed explained that what the government observes and requires in terms of cooperation from the media does not amount to undue propaganda for it, as it justifiably wants its side of the story told.
