The Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Niger State Council said the State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago should tread with caution and in accordance with democratic tenets in issuing orders.
While noting that in exercising executive powers especially as it relates to media industry , the state council of NUJ after emergency State working Committee meeting urged the Governor to understand the role of the media in holding public officers accountable.
The position of the council is sequel to a directive by the Governor to close down a private Radio Station in Minna, Badeggi FM 90.1 FM .
A Statement issued on behalf of the Union by the State Secretary of NUJ Comrade Usman Chiji, said it is only the National Broadcasting Commission NBC that has legal powers to issue license to radio and television stations and can also revoke same through judicial interpretations when such stations err.
The Union called on the Governor to approach NBC and formally lodge his complaint rather than outright directive to close down the station whose licencing is not within his executive power.
The NUJ was of the belief that, the Governor would have made effective use of the NUJ as professional body to table issues relating professional misconducts.
The Statement however cautioned that, in as much as the Union will not support gagging of the media houses by the authorities, it urged practitioners in the State to always abide by the ethics of the profession to uphold public confidence adding that in line with this a committee headed by a Senior Journalist Pastor Dan Amashingha was recently set up to ensure revalidation of membership of the union.
The NUJ reminded the Governor on the need to carry media practitioners and houses along through partnerships instead of ordering for their Closure that is against democratic principles.
The union therefore urged the immediate withdrawal of the order in the interest of democracy, invariably press freedom.
