–IMC / CIPP Promotes Peace Journalism, Honours Journalists in Kaduna
–RUWASSA reducing conflict over water in rural communities, sinks over 2,500 boreholes in two months.
Journalists have been enjoined to use their medium to promote peaceful coexistence in the society.
This was the focus of a presentation by Samuel Aruwa, the Honourable Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna state, at a forum for Peace Journalism organised by Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) as part of its Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP) Program held in its premises on Friday, December 20, in Kaduna.
In the presentation titled “Networking With Journalists to Enhance and Promote Peace In Kaduna” , Samuel Aruwa emphasised the need for journalist to develop personal and professional integrity in the course of executing their jobs.
The Commissioner , who before his appointment was a practicing journalist, said integrity and credibility are vital traits that all journalist must possess. He urged all practitioners to verify their sources before publishing while practicing responsibly as their stories are capable of building peaceful coexistence in the society or creating anarchy and destruction.
The Director General of Kaduna state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Engineer Ahmed Manir, who was a guest at the event, opined that the role of the media in promoting peace can not be overemphasized as the media is a key player in the development of any society.
While reminding the gathering that water scarcity is a potential cause of conflict, Eng. Manir used the opportunity to inform the media that the problem of access to water in rural communities in Kaduna state will soon be a thing of the past as his agency in the past two months have sunk over 2,500 boreholes in different rural communities in Kaduna state.
To end the years promgram the IMC gave award of recognition to Ehis Agbon and some orther journalists for their contributions to promoting peace and peace reporting in Kaduna and Nigeria.
The recipients of the awards promised to do more in promoting peaceful coexistence in their reporting.
It is also important for the govt to open frontiers to ease of access to information in record time to ensure that there is little need for people to speculate or make wild assumptions.