By Suleiman Yakubu

Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Gov. Bassey Ottu of Cross River, said the new administration inherited a “rundown” state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CPS stated this when he interacted with the members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Cross River, Calabar, on Monday.
Ogbeche stressed that the state was so rundown that it would require the support and collaboration of all to put things in order.
He, however, said the governor was up to the task of turning around the negative narrative.
According to him, “Otu inherited a rundown state; it was badly rundown to the extent that it shows that there was a government in place before now.
“There is no record of anything; approvals were given on WhatsApp messages.
“It will require a lot to turn the state around, and thank God we have a capable and listening governor who is ready to provide the needed leadership.”
Speaking further, the CPS solicited the support of the NUJ in the governor’s bid to turn around the fortunes of the state for the benefit of all.
Ogbeche also promised the governor’s support for the union.
He particularly noted that he was ready to give his all to justify the confidence the governor had in him, so he appointed him his CPS.
“This is a job I never lobbied for, didn’t make any calls to, or contacted anyone to secure the job.
“The job found me with God’s grace, and I am ready to do everything to justify that confidence reposed in me by the governor.
“As a member of the union and the immediate past chairman of the Abuja Council, I will ensure a robust relationship between the governor and the media practitioners in the state,” he stated.
The Chairman of the Cross River Council of the NUJ, Mr. Nsa Gill, who congratulated Ogbeche on his appointment, promised that members of the union in the state would work to ensure the success of the CPS in his new office.

By Suleiman Yakubu

Global Rights, an international human rights and governance capacity-building organisation, has called on journalists to embrace caution when reporting conflicts.
Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chair of the Global Rights Board, made the call at a two-day training on Conflict-Sensitive Reporting for Journalists in Abuja.
Odinkalu, a former Chair of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, said the call became necessary because “we believe that objective reporting is a virtue.
“It is the right thing to do, as much as possible. Pursue the facts.
“Wherever there is the need to report conflict-related issues, the journalist should try and reflect them in a balanced and informed manner and allow members of the public to make up their minds.
“It entails protecting everything about your digital life, your relationships, where you live, your movements and friendships, how you look out for your families, what you eat, what you drink, and where you hang out.
“If the journalist is going to be reporting conflict in Nigeria, then nothing is too insignificant.
“He or she has to review how they live.”
He decried election-related conflicts, saying they have a way of hindering credible reporting.
He also advised reporters to take protective measures during conflicts.
Speaking, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, urged journalists to always verify the authenticity of their sources of information before reporting.
Mojeed, who delivered a lecture with the title “Tapping sources for investigating conflicts and atrocities”, said disseminating the wrong information about conflicts could cause an escalation.
“This could further degenerate into conflicts and atrocities.
“Some of us journalists take sides when reporting conflicts, and when reporters take sides at times like that, they end up worsening the crisis.
“This then increases tension. The thing journalists should always remember is that if they do anything to make the crisis escalate anywhere, they could be consumed by it.
" So, we have a responsibility as journalists to ensure that we are conflict-sensitive all the time.
“When you are writing or posting on social media, think about it. Ask yourself whether you are helping to diffuse conflict or worsening the crisis by taking sides.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), attributed conflict to corruption, saying it needed to be curbed.
Aiyetan tutored on “Introspection to Investigative Journalism,” saying the training was designed to develop critical reporting capacity for the Nigerian media.
“The reason our main focus is to develop critical reporting capacity for the media is that we are not doing enough to hold the government accountable.
“If we don’t tackle corruption management and insecurity now, fifty years from now, our children’s children will continue to suffer what we suffer.
“They will continue to deal with what we are dealing with now; this is why Journalists must try to understand the issues."