Niger State Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, has called on journalists in the state to be good ambassadors by being positive in their reporting of the state.
The governor made the call when executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Abu Nmodu, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Minna.
He said journalists were also stakeholders in the state and, hence, should provide wider coverage of the activities of the present administration.
He also encouraged journalists to ensure they report timely and accurately to avoid fake news.
The governor noted the bad and deplorable condition of state-owned media houses and said his administration would change the narrative.
He specifically stated that Niger State Television (NSTV) will be rebranded and privatised to compete favourably with other private television stations.
While assuring the NUJ of his continued support, he advised the union to look inward and be more enterprising.
The NUJ Chairman, Abu Nmodu, had earlier expressed gratitude to the governor for appointing three of its members to serve in his administration.
He commended the governor for his support and appealed for more, especially as it affects the welfare of journalists.
He decried the condition of the state-owned media houses, requesting the governor to overhaul and revamp them for effective information dissemination and revenue generation.
Comrade Abu Nmodu also appealed that career civil servants who were journalists and qualified to be Permanent Secretaries should be considered for the position so that they can contribute effectively to the success of the administration.
The NUJ bestowed on the governor the title of Grand Patron of the Union, and the investiture will come up in October this year during the Press Week celebration.
New edifice housing the Chanchaga Division of the Niger State Police Command, had been commissioned by the Niger State Governor, Hon. Umaru Mohammed Bago.
Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago, on the occasion, promised to provide Amoured Personnel Carriers (APC) gun trucks and other operational vehicles and logistics to the police with a view to combating crimes.
The governor then charged the police to remain focused in the discharge of their duties and be vigilant always.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Ogundele Joshua Ayodeji, commended Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his administration's support of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the state.
He said the new edifice will go a long way in motivating and encouraging the men and officers of the division to wake up to their responsibilities of curbing crimes in the community, as they were expected to do better in the discharge of their duties.
The commissioner said that the structure, as it was being put to use, would secure the lives and properties of the citizenry, especially as security is critical and expensive. He therefore appealed to the state government to render more support to security by providing the needed equipment for the police in the state in order to enhance their operations.
He said that investing more in the provision of the right equipment will secure the state and bring about the needed development.
It would be recalled that the Governor of Niger State had, during his inaugural speech, ordered the demolition of the old Chanchnga police station, which was situated along waterways, preventing some sections of the community from accessing portable water.
This development was the reason why the Niger State Government donated the structure housing the new Chanchaga Police Division to the Niger State Command for use.
