The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has tasked journalists with ensuring effective reporting of medical issues to promote children’s health and survival.
Tushar Rane, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, gave the charge at a two-day media dialogue on Tuesday in Gombe.
He said the media play a greater role in creating awareness among the public about promoting child health and survival within the first 1,000 days of birth.
According to Rane, the first 1,000 days of the child's life start from pregnancy to two years after birth, adding that the period is critical to the child’s physical and brain development.
He said that 50 percent of the child’s brain developed at birth and advanced up to 75 percent at two years, lamenting that poor children are at risk of malnutrition in the first 1,000 days.
Rane charged journalists to create awareness through their reportage towards promoting child health and survival.
“Neuronal pathways develop most rapidly within the days mentioned above, hence the need for public awareness to be created for child health,” he said.
Also, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, stressed the Need for mothers to be acquainted with the process of child development within the first 1,000 days.
Represented by Dr. Jibril Mohammed, Director of Administration and Finance in the Agency, Mohammed also recommended adequate sleep for mothers.
“Adequate rest, that is, enough sleep for pregnant women, is important for normal metabolism to take place and to avoid complications. Depression might set in due to complications.
“The child might also develop malformations as a result of these,” he said.
He, therefore, urged journalists to enlighten parents and encourage the uptake of primary healthcare services to achieve good health for children.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 35 media professionals, drawn from Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), attended the exercise.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters, Abuja, has said it has not commenced the 2022/2023 recruitment of police constables and has not advertised for any recruitment exercise, as recently reported and circulated on social media platforms.
The Force Police Public Relations Officer (FPPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who made this disclosure in a press release and made it available to newsmen, urged the members of the public to disregard the said publication as it was fake.
CSP Adejobi, in the statement, said, "The force wishes to reiterate and inform well-meaning members of the public that the police has not commenced the 2022/2023 recruitment into the Nigeria police force for constables, contrary to the fake publication, and I want to state unequivocally that the advertisement has no connection with the Nigeria police force's established recruitment process, which has been circulating in the social media platforms, and such information should be discounted in its entirety".
"The Nigeria Police Force thereby assure well meaning Nigerians that the commencement of the 2022/23 recruitment exercise will be announced via the official website https/policerecricutment gov.ng,the Nigeria police official website; https/ www.npf.gov.ng and advertisements on national dailies and official police social media accounts as and when due,"
"The public is hereby advised to rely solely on the above-mentioned verified sources and platforms and exercise caution and vigilance in order to avoid falling victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes," the statement added.
The Acting IGP, according to CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has further restated the commitment of the present police leadership to a standardised recruitment process with a view to having more competent recruit intakes into the policing system in Nigeria.
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