CSO Condemns Report On Kaduna Gov’s Handling Of Insecurity

The Kaduna State chapter of Truth and Justice Defenders Forum, has reacted to a media report (not in LEADERSHIP) questioning the handling of security challenge in the State by Governor Uba Sani, describing the report as a paid job lacking in merit and professional depth.

An online news portal in its publication of June 27 had accused Governor Uba Sani of abandoning some parts of the state to the mercy of criminals and accused former Governor Nasir El-Rufai for allegedly still being in charge of the State and for meddling in the affairs of the state by taking key decisions for the incumbent governor at the expense of the state.

The report also accused Governor Uba Sani of being insensitive to the security situation in the state by traveling for Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

But, reacting to the allegations against Governor Uba Sani, the Truth and Justice Defenders Forum described the report as warped, unprofessional, unfounded and sponsored by an unnamed “frustrated, disgraced politician” in the state.

Chairman of the Forum, Sabo Abbah Anas, in a strongly-worded statement on Friday, said they were quite aware of the identity of the main sponsor of such mischievous news report aimed at heightening tensions in the state.

“We shall not hesitate to name the discredited frustrated, and dejected opposition Senator in the state who persists in such desperate attempt to review and falsify the facts using some unscrupulous media to mislead and misinform the public,” said Anas.

He noted in the statement that, without the need to give detractors more reasons to feel important, the Forum warned politicians, especially “the publicity-hungry blogger” to desist from attempts to manipulate the truths about state security.

“We note especially that a section of the media has not been extremely careful in their reportage of the security situation in Kaduna State and end up fanning greater unrest.

“Notwithstanding this well-known bias of that section of the media, the state government never made a habit of denouncing them at every occasion or on the slightest of breaches of decorum and etiquette.

“We were all along hoping that they would change to being more restrained in reporting on matters that affect the credibility of electoral process and popular will of the people without resorting to partisan overkill.

“We expected the proprietors of these unnecessarily unfriendly media outfits to regulate themselves and abide by their own rules and etiquette regarding the dissemination and reportage of news.

“Alas! The position remains unchanged that whenever matters affecting or arising from the security situation such as this one are reported or commented upon, the intrinsic bias of these media houses keeps becoming apparent; moreso when they get continuously influenced by an ex-Senator mad about publicity.

“We are today calling on professional bodies like NUJ, Nigerian Guild of Editors and NPAN to call such poor media operators to order in their reporting of all political situations in the state, and to eschew the slanted reporting of events with greater bias on issues of national security.

“We warn that editorial policies and restraints imposed by ordinary decency and sanity must not be abandoned by the media establishment for sensational and often biased reporting that only inflame tensions in the state,” Annas stated.

The Forum, therefore, wondered why the report would single out Kaduna State for such attacks and what it called irreverent treatment whereas the security situation is as well or even more pervasive in other northern states like Zamfara, Katsina, Niger than it was in Kaduna State.