News Investigators/ The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kebbi chapter, has dismissed claims by former Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, AbdulWaheed Umar, that the media was underreporting the achievements of Kebbi government and its people.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, the Chairman of the chapel, Kabiru Wurma, described Umar’s remarks as misleading and an apparent attempt to impress Gov. Nasir Idris during his address at the NLC retreat in the state.
Mr Wurma said, “We were taken aback when Comrade Umar, while at the Presidential Lodge, claimed to have toured the state to verify Gov. Idris’ achievements within barely three years.
“With all due respect, he seems unaware of the realities of today’s digital media landscape. News stories are now published online and across social media platforms, with updates coming in real time.
“It is disappointing that such an uninformed statement was made, disregarding the extensive coverage of government initiatives and successes by journalists in Kebbi.
“We call on Comrade Umar, as an elder statesman, to withdraw his remarks.”
The chairman further emphasised the unique support Gov. Idris had received from the media, noting, “No other governor in Nigeria has enjoyed such consistent reportage from journalists and media organisations as Gov. Nasir Idris.
“Our coverage reflects the tangible progress and developmental milestones recorded under his administration.”
Mr Wurma also recalled that during a visit to Kebbi on Oct. 23, 2024, the current NLC President, Joe Ajero, praised the governor, stating, “There is not a day when positive stories are not coming out of Kebbi.
“We are proud of the governor for the remarkable achievements recorded within the first year of his administration.”
Mr Wurma questioned why the former NLC president would make claims about matters he had no knowledge of, saying, “there was not a single project that had not been captured or covered by journalists in the state.
“We are in a digital era now — if you want to know about any project in a state, you can search for it on Google and find out whether it was ever reported by journalists or not.
“Working journalists will not comment on why you frequently visit Kebbi, but we will not condone any attempt at sabotage or the disparagement of our work,” the chairman said.
NAN