By; ABDULL-AZEEZ AHMED KADIR, Kano.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna Council, Comrade Garba Mohammad has called on media practitioners in the country to investigate the activities of, and expose sponsors of pipelines vandals in Nigeria.
Mohammad made this call Friday in Kano in his remark at the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of a workshop organized for journalists by Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) holding at Tahir Guest Palace.
“I want to urge the media to rise against these saboteurs by focusing attention on the activities of these vandals by investigating and exposing their sponsors in order to overcome the problem.”
He reiterated that “as the fourth estate of the realm, it is our responsibility as media practitioners to support the growth and development of this country through constructive and balance reportage of events to create peaceful and an enabling atmosphere.”
According to him,”we are not unaware of the current challenges facing the Oil sector in Nigeria, especially the senseless attacks on oil installations by the so-called Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).”
Mohammad commended the management of KRPC for sustaining the annual workshop for Journalists to keep them abreast development in the industry and sharpen their know how on the job.
“I must commend the time, energy and resources invested on all the workshops aimed at equipping our members with requisite training to improve our reporting skills of the oil sector” he stressed.
“As KRPC has made this Workshop an annual event, permit me here to acknowledge the invaluable role and support of the current Managing Director of KRPC, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar, who has consistently ensured that the workshops hold every year even before he was elevated.
“Therefore, “I call on colleagues to join me in appreciating the MD, the entire Management and staff of KRPC especially the Public Affairs Department (PAD) for this great concern and effort toward encouraging and improving the capacity of Journalists in the state as they conduct their civic and constitutional responsibilities” he added
He described this year’s theme of the workshop “NNPC In Transition, Transformation and Media’s Role In Facilitating Positive Outcome” as timely.
“As we explore all these opportunities to make us better journalists, I called on all participants to take both trainings serious and see how we can use them to contribute positively to the current transformation going on in NNPC and the Oil Sector generally” he urged.
