Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki has called for comprehensive insurance cover for journalists in the country even as he said that it has become imperative for the salaries of media professionals to be enhanced in order to boost their morale and increase their productivity.

Saraki made these remarks today during the opening session of the fifth Triennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja.

Saraki, who was represented at the event by the senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, said that recent events in the national, cross-border and global polity have “undoubtedly put a lot of emphasis on the safety, sustainability, value, rights and moral standing of the average journalist.”

Saraki said: “It is thus incumbent on us, the custodians of this democracy, to bring to the fore viewpoints that will enhance the productivity and efforts of these professionals. That is why I associate myself with the call for journalists to be provided insurance cover by their employers, be it government or private. I also want to canvass enhanced salaries for the professionals.

“However, this demands that journalists, through their associations, should strictly enforce adherence to professionalism and code of ethics of their profession. There must also be penalty for those who violate the ethics or behave in a manner unbecoming of a professional.”

He said that the influence of the mass media on diverse issues in the society, and the multi-dimensional nature of that influence has led to the call for the role of the media, with particular emphasis on democracy, to be centred on keeping the people informed, providing critical information and setting agenda for the public.

“However, as seemingly basic as the above roles might seem, the unwavering impact of the attendant consequences cannot be glossed over and so the effectiveness of the media in discharging these set duties will all but depend on the quality of media personnel, ownership, poverty level, ethnicity, civil society, professionalism, ethical and moral orientation of the media, religion, influences on the media such as powerful groups, advertisers and public relations people.”

The Senate President said that it is necessary to urgently review the training curriculum in Journalism institutions to accommodate parliamentary journalism and other necessary skills to prepare potential reporters for legislative reporting.

“It is also worth knowing that beyond the business of governance, which is pivotal to our societal sovereignty, the press also commands indomitable powers in influencing the economic and social decisions of the society.

“I strongly believe that journalism is first and foremost a public trust and one that should be held in the utmost esteem requiring those who hold this trust, even under extreme circumstance to refrain from its abuse.”

The Senate President commended the NUJ for holding the conference, with the theme “Fostering Safety of Journalists and Building Synergy with Agents of the State.”

Earlier in his remarks, outgoing national president of the NUJ, Mohammed Garba, said he was leaving behind a more peaceful union, having helped to restore normalcy to troubled state chapters of the NUJ.

He pledged the commitment of the NUJ to providing an enabling environment for journalists so to carry out their professional duties without molestation. [myad]

The United Nations’ High Representative for South Sudan,  Alfa Oumar Konare, has raised an alarm before President Muhammadu Buhari over the deepening political crisis in South Sudan in spite of the past peace agreements.
The UN representative, who paid a courtesy visit on President Buhari today at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja, expressed concern that the continuing political dispute in South Sudan could deteriorate further if left unresolved.
According to him, the escalation of the crisis could also worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country with negative consequences for neighbouring countries.
“What we have before us is a very complicated situation and I am concerned that unless the parties start implementing the various agreements for peace, the crisis will deepen,’’ he told President Buhari.
Responding, President Buhari promised that Nigeria will continue to work in close collaboration with the African Union and the international community for the achievement of reconciliation  and lasting peace in South Sudan.
He advised the government of South Sudan and other political factions in the country to start implementing the various peace agreements reached under the auspices of the United Nations, the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa (IGAD) .
The President stressed that compliance with the agreements by all parties to the dispute in South Sudan is an  essential first step towards returning the country to the path of peace, stability and development.
President Buhari also received the Coordinator of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors Council, Baroness Lynda Chalker in audience, during which time he assured her that his administration will welcome useful suggestions from local and  international entrepreneurs on ways of accelerating the pace of economic development in Nigeria. [myad]

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the regrets he expressed during one of his engagements in his recent official visit to the United States of America, about the impact of the application of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s war against  Boko Haram and terrorism should not be construed as an indictment of President Barack Obama and the United States.
The President was reacting to what his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina referred to in a statement today as “persisting claims in  the local and international media that President Muhammadu Buhari has accused or indicted the United States Government of helping the terrorist group, Boko Haram” which he said “are untrue and widely off mark.”
President Buhari acknowledged that President Obama and the United States have publicly and privately declared their preparedness to give his Administration the fullest possible support and assistance in the battle against Boko Haram.
He described the report quoting him of having indicted Obama and the US as “an unfortunate misinterpretation and distortion of the President’s remarks at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) during his highly successful official visit to Washington DC.”
The statement said that President Buhari made it abundantly clear in those remarks, copies of which were circulated to the media, that he was convinced that the United States could never support groups such as Boko Haram.
“I know the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes,” the President said at the occasion, adding that within the context in which those remarks were made, President Buhari’s comments on the adverse effect of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s efforts to contain Boko Haram’s  atrocious acts of terrorism should only be taken as a passionate appeal for even greater understanding and support from a very powerful and long-standing ally.
It made it clear that President Buhari has nothing but the highest possible regard for President Obama, the United States Government, the people of the United States, their laws and institutions.
“The President had very successful and useful talks with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, other high-ranking US government officials and members of United States Congress during his visit to Washington DC.
“It is his expectation that those talks will lead to better mutual understanding and a further deepening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States, especially in Nigeria’s current priority areas of  defence and security cooperation.” [myad]