The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT council on Wednesday criticised the federal government and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for failing to include the media in their strategic communication plan over the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a statement issued by its Chairman, Emmanuel Ogbeche, the union faulted the composition of the Presidential Taskforce on the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the FCT Administration’s committee as lacking in media representation.
“The various committees, those of the federal government and the FCT Administration, are lacking in strategic media representation. How can you have such sensitive committees without the input of media stakeholders especially the NUJ? From what we have seen, the messaging process is poor, inarticulate and not far reaching and this is rather unfortunate,” the statement reads.
“At a time such as this, what is required are broad based committees that bring stakeholders and those with the requisite professional background and not a wholly bureaucratic or partisan membership.
“But for the media on their own, there would have been no information. We are yet to hear a single jingle on the radio in any of the local languages. You can imagine that in Abuja which is beginning to see a surge in the number of those testing positive, not even a single jingle in say Gbagyi or Hausa because the media is not involved in the committees,” Ogbeche noted.
