Rights Commission, Union To Deepen Collaboration On Protection Of Journalists

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has promised to deepen collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in order to monitor, document, and stand against violations against journalists in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary/CEO of the NHRC, Dr Tony Ojukwu, disclosed this yesterday at a Media Parley with journalists in commemoration of the Commission’s 30th Anniversary and Unveiling of its Logo in Abuja.

Dr Ojukwu, who said the media stands as watchdogs of society, also noted that they play an indispensable role in advancing the cause of justice, equality, and human dignity.

He said the Rights Commission was committed to strengthening the partnerships, adding that the event offered an opportunity to deliberate on how human rights stories are told, the challenges faced by journalists and how to collectively raise the quality and visibility of rights-based reporting in Nigeria.

At the event, which was themed ” Strengthening Media Partnership for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria”, the executive secretary also promised that the Commission shall work with media organisations to provide adequate technical and programmatic support to ensure the protection of press freedom and the rights of journalists

“The Commission shall work with the federal and state governments to ensure that an environment exists to support media organizations to perform their roles in countering and reporting hate speeches; establish protective and accountability mechanism on human rights violations arising from hate speech; undertake advocate, campaigns and other educational programmes to inform the public on the negative implications of hate speech and its impacts on the enjoyment of human rights”, he stated.

In his remarks, the National President of NUJ, Alhassan Yahaya, reiterated that the protection of journalists and the promotion of press freedom remained critical to the advancement of democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.

Yahaya, represented by the FCT Chairman, Grace Ike, called on the rights commission to go beyond issuing statements of condemnation and take decisive action to protect the freedom of expression. He noted that press freedom was non-negotiable, adding that the rights of journalists must be protected.

“The National Human Rights Commission is endowed with constitutional authority and is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. However, beyond issuing statements of condemnation, there is a pressing need for decisive action. It is time to act. It is no longer business as usual”

“It is imperative that the Commission engages proactively with law enforcement agencies — because most times, they are the culprits — as well as with the judiciary, to create an environment where attacks on journalists are met with accountability. This will send a clear message that impunity will no longer be tolerated among media professionals, whatever the case may be”, he said.