The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, have agreed to collaborate and work together in order to make the state a better place to live in.
The two associations reached an agreement at the weekend in Yenagoa when the NBA executive led by her current chairman, Clement Kekemeke, engaged NUJ in a dialogue.
The two associations agreed that when they work together, it will promote transparency and accountability in the public space, thereby improving the social justice system in the state.
Receiving the visitors, Tonye Yemoleigha, Chairman of NUJ Bayelsa State, advised that the Judiciary should have some journalists accredited to ensure seamless reportage.
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The Chairman maintained that the dialogue marks a turning point for NUJ, NBA and for Bayelsa State, stating that with the collaboration and accreditation of Journalists to cover the Judiciary, the state will be showcased to the world.
Yemoleigha said:” We feel as NUJ that there is a need for us to have accredited reporters covering the court. It is only when you have some cases that you see journalists crowding your courts.
“We considered all those, and we made that proposal, but the feedback wasn’t what we expected. No, it doesn’t work that way. We need the public to also interact with the court.
“The beauty of having an accredited journalist reporting the court is that you will know them, and it will make access to information about proceedings easier to report, and they will be used to court terminology.
“While we work towards the synergy between NUJ and NBA, we should also push for accreditation of journalists to report on our courts.
“How many reports from the Bayelsa Judiciary do you read on the pages of newspapers on a yearly basis?. But you read every case from Lagos. State. The courts there are not within the Nigerian jurisdiction. What is the difference? How do we now sell the state? When the Press is gagged, it means you have stiffened society.
“On the protection of human rights, call on us, the Media will be ready to escalate the issue because what goes on in the Judiciary, if it is not amplified, those who ought to take corrections may not know.
“It is only proper that the Media is there to amplify the Judiciary and that will be in the best interest of all of us. So the benefits are enormous. And it will be good for all of us if we can work together to achieve that.”
He said that NUJ will be happy to collaborate with the NBA to ensure that when journalists find themselves in a brick wall, the NBA can come in, adding that “what we are doing here today will be a signpost to other states.
Speaking earlier, Clement Kekemeke, the Chairman of NBA Yenagoa Branch, had disclosed that NBA Yenagoa Branch came to seek for collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Bayelsa Council.
Kekemeke assured that with the collaboration under review, the work of the two associations will be made easier, stating that the two groups have a lot to do together.
He said:”There are mutual areas where we can leverage on and one of those area is the Freedom of the Press which derives it’s strength from the Constitution.
“We realized the fact that the Press is an instrument for us to promote the rule of law. Without the freedom of the press, the so much thanked about rule of law is incomplete and so we know that in so many areas, we have reason as the Bar to depend on the NUJ to promote our course while we collectively project the freedom of the press.
“And I can assure you that here in Bayelsa State, the NBA Yenagoa Branch, we are ready to partner with you and promote the freedom of the press. We will not watch any of yours being haunted by the powers that be unjustly for discharging your legitimate duties.
“You can always knock on our doors and we are willing to open. We thought that it is important to have this meeting and reiterate our readiness to collaborate with you.
“The NBA has a role to play in this and that role we are always willing to play.
In the area of asses to information, we can assure you, on behalf of our branch that you will have that collaboration.
“We will also want to collaborate with you on the area of protection of human rights which requires the press to enlighten our people. We can jointly carry out this advocacy by enlightening the populace together.”
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