Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, the Yobe State Commissioner for Home Affairs Information and Culture, has lauded journalists in the state for their dedication, resilience and sacrifice to duty.
Bego, gave the commendation while declaring open a two-day workshop for journalists organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Yobe council on Tuesday in Damaturu.
“Since the creation of Yobe, about 32 years ago the journalists in the state have been doing a wonderful job of reporting what is happening across the nooks and crannies of the state.
“I especially want to recognise and laud your contributions during the 12 years of Boko Haram insurgents. At a time when many people were leaving Yobe, no single journalist left the state because of the insurgency. All of you stayed back, doing your jobs even under very difficult and sometimes threatening circumstances,” he said.
He added that the story of how the Boko Haram insurgency was overcome could not be completed without the contribution the journalists had made.
Bego called on media practitioners to adjust to the modern ways of news reporting posed by technology and the advent of social media.
He noted that most people no longer depend on conventional news sources but resorted to social media, which he described as challenging to journalists.
“This is a very important and serious challenge that journalists have to rise to. The advent of social media is clearly an opportunity. Unfortunately, many of the members of the NUJ have not seized the opportunity as journalists,” the commissioner said.
He lamented that most journalists do not utilise social media platforms to advance their careers, public engagement or as a means of making extra income.
Bego emphasized that “It will cost you nothing to work together and unite around common purposes and common objectives. Operating individually undermines your capacity as a very responsible body,” he advised.
Mr Rajab Isma’il, the Chairman of the NUJ Yobe Council commended the state government under Gov Mai Mala Buni’s administration for facilitating the workshop.
He encouraged the participants to dedicate the knowledge they acquired during the workshop to the progress of Yobe and the entire nation.
