By Ola Kay
In a move to sanitize Journalism practice and in line with the directive of the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, the Rivers State Council Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia has flagged off membership revalidation exercise, which aims to flush out fake practitioners.
At Ernest Ikoli Press Center, (the Rivers NUJ State Secretariat), Moscow Road in Port Harcourt and venue of the flag off, Comrade Bazia expressed the confidence that the exercise will in no small measure help deal with the incidence of fake journalists masquerading as professionals in the state.
The state NUJ chairman explained that the idea was mooted by the national body of the union.
“National Secretariat has already opened a website for the registration and directed all State Councils to revalidate members of all the Chapels.
“Before then,we had earlier set up a committee for that purpose.
“At the end of this exercise,we are expected to forward the data of revalidated members to the National Secretariat,for onward production of their identity cards,”the State Chairman said.
He informed that after the exercise, the established Taskforce on Quackery will commence enforcement by clamping down on impersonators,with a view to prosecuting them.
Mr. Bazia emphasized that the NUJ constitution already spelt out the minimum qualification for journalists as Bsc, BA and HND in Mass Communication or Journalism.
He said that graduates of other disciplines (in their first degrees) are expected to have Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in relevant disciplines to qualify them to practice as journalists.
The Rivers State NUJ Chairman said that the National Secretariat of the Union has opened a website for the registration of journalists across the country, awaiting the list of revalidated members from the 36 councils nationwide, including the FCT.
The Chairman consequently declared the revalidation exercise opened.
The Chairman, Comrd Paul Bazia carried out his own revalidation and the Revalidation Committee, as well as members of the committee led by Comrd Godpower Lekia Anya.
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