By Mukhtar Ya’U Madobi
Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, FCT Chapter, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche, has advised graduates of journalism to always consider pursuing national interest in the course of gathering and disseminating news information.
He made the call at the FCT NUJ Council Secretariat during a ceremony organized by the journalism students of International Institute of Journalism, IIJ, Abuja as part celebrating their graduation from the Institute.
Mr. Ogbeche, represented by the Council Secretary, Ochiaka Ugwu, noted that journalists have a great role to play in ensuring national development through adopting and practicing developmental journalism.
He said, “Whenever you come across a news story capable of threatening the corporate existence of the country as a single entity, do not publish it, because you have to put the nation’s interest above everything.
“Believe me, you will only know the beauty and value of your country when you turn around and look at the condition of those people living in a failed state. Thus, we must protect our country.”
Mr. Ogbeche, also added that national development can only be realized when the country is in peace, thus journalists can help achieve that by promoting national interest via sensitive reportage.
In his remarks, a mass communication lecturer at IIJ, Dr. Austin Maho, who is also the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of ‘DAYBREAK’, an online newspaper, enjoined the graduands to always uphold the ethical codes of journalism profession in the course of discharging their watch dog function to the society.
The graduating students, through their Class Captain, Miss Joy Osaji Onalo, thanked the entire lecturers for imparting them sound knowledge and requisite skills needed in practicing journalism, during the course of the program.
Highpoint of the event was the award presentation by the graduating students to their lecturers.
