The President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, has called on Nigerians to support the government in addressing the challenges of security in the country.
Mr Isiguzo made the call when the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku and his team visited Mr Iziguzo on Monday in Abuja.
According to him, the country is facing a serious form of insecurity.
He added, “Recently, the NUJ collaborated with other stakeholders and organised a security conference where we brought together Nigerians. We discussed and came out with strategies on how to resolve these challenges. Addressing the issue of insecurity should not be left for the government alone. It is a collective responsibility. It is something that all of us as Nigerians must come together and resolve. All of us in our small corners. What you consider as small information that you provide to the security agencies can go a long way to resolve a particular challenge.
“All of us can play the role of Intelligent gathering very well. Last week the governor of Niger State told us that his strategy is to take control of ungoverned territories within his state which has the largest land mass in the country. So, all of us must think outside of the box. If we continue to repeat the same strategy we are using over the years, we will not make any headway. We must begin to change our strategy and support government in our little corner to ensure that we get out of these issues of insecurity.’’
He noted that it was enough to run to other countries, adding that no matter the comfort in foreign lands, Nigeria remains the best.
He noted that life was not easy and rosy in foreign countries as some people usually think.
Isiguzo said, “We are not the worst in terms of insecurity; go to the U.S., Europe, Middle East and other places, people are not safe there. Nigeria is safe. Whatever our problems are, we can take care of them, so far we can have faith in Nigeria. We cannot destroy our country. So, whenever you lift your pen or smartphone to write, make sure what you are going to dish out to the public has the capacity to build and not to destroy the country.’’
Mr Neliaku, also sought the partnership of the NUJ to generate sustained focus on the contributions of stakeholders in different sectors.
He said both the NUJ and the NIPR play significant roles in shaping public discourse, promoting transparency and upholding the values of democracy.
According to him, NIPR and NUJ are pillars of the fourth estate, tasked with the crucial responsibility of disseminating accurate information, fostering dialogue and holding power to account.
He stated “The relationship between journalists and public relations professionals is symbiotic, built on a foundation of mutual respect, understanding, and collaboration.’’
(NAN)