Benue Journalists fault CPS’s derogatory remarks on indigenous media outfits
By Daniel Mtindiga
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A coalition of journalists in Benue State has taken strong exception to alleged derogatory remarks against local media outfits credited to the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Tersoo Kula. The criticism came from twelve chapels of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, which expressed disappointment over a statement reportedly made by the CPS that he had no dealings with the local media.
In a communique issued after a meeting in Makurdi on Monday, the journalists contended that such a statement did not reflect the disposition of Governor Hyacinth Alia towards the home-based media and their contributions to the state’s development.
The chapels simultaneously passed a vote of confidence on Governor Alia’s administration, describing it as media-friendly and development-oriented. The communique commended the governor for maintaining a cordial relationship with journalists and gave his government a clean bill of health after reviewing its performance.
While distancing the governor from the CPS’s reported remarks, the meeting praised other members of the governor’s media team for their productive relationships with journalists.
Specifically, commended were the Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communications, Chief Solomon Iorpev, and Principal Special Assistants Donald Kumun (Print), Bridget Tivkyaa (Media Publicity and Strategic Communications), and Isaac Uzaan (Media and Content Creation).
On internal union affairs, the chapels aligned with a recent NUJ Congress decision that exonerated the State Council Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, of allegations of financial impropriety. They also challenged the Correspondents’ Chapel, which had leveled the allegations and called for the leadership’s dissolution, to subject its position to a referendum among union members.
The communiqué reaffirmed the resolve of the concerned chapels to defend the union’s integrity and support initiatives aimed at strengthening professional journalism and responsible leadership within the NUJ in Benue State.
