The Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, says the media are not helping matters in the way they cover the Jos crises.
Aduba said this at the weekend in Jos during a “fraternity visit’’ to the Plateau Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He said it was high time journalists took a critical look at their roles in the Jos unrests and foster unity among the people. ”Journalists must work on the side of peace not withstanding whose ox was gored,’’ he said.
According to him, the police and journalists have similar roles as watchdogs of the society and both must form a partnership to promote peaceful existence among the people. The police boss pointed out that taking sides in media reporting was against the ethics of the profession and therefore detrimental to solving societal problems.
He challenged journalists to remain focused and steadfast until peace was fully restored in the state.
Aduba said that journalists must realise that the “selfish people’’ who used them did not mean well for the state and urged the media professionals to always think twice before writing damaging stories.
He promised that the doors of the police would always remain open and called on journalists to feel free to crosscheck facts before going to the press.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force is currently facing numerous problems as Nigerians look up to it to rid the society of all manners of crimes.
Aduba challenged journalists to partner with all agencies concerned to boost the confidence of the citizenry.
Responding, the Plateau NUJ Chairman, Mr. Katdapba Gobum, said that Aduba was the first police commissioner to visit the council in the recent past. Gobum said that Aduba’s observations were germane and called on his colleagues to think about them.
The NUJ boss used the opportunity to commiserate with the police over the loss of personnel in the protracted Jos unrests.
