By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Prof. Danjuma Gambo, has decried the eroding values of journalism profession among practitioners.
Gambo also considers the relevance of values in dealing with leadership selection and follower-ship at individual and institutional conducts of journalists and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He raised the alarm yesterday in Maiduguri at a Triennial Delegates Conference of NUJ, Borno state council, while delivering a paper entitled: “The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ): Leadership, Professional Security and The Relevance of Values.”
He said journalism is a universal profession built on specific values, principles, ideals, standards and practices that cannot be wished away.
He lamented that there seems to be a significant deviation from the well-established global professional framework.
According to him, the deviation has led to incessant deterioration in the organizational and practice of the profession.
He however noted that the bulk of the challenges rest squarely with the quality, attitude and conduct of leaders and members of the NUJ.
His words: “They have systematically contributed to a general state of insecurity of the profession and its practioners.
“The NUJ, at national and state levels, has established structures for enforcement of its ethics, but its members, deliberately or out of ignorance, actively engage in various forms of violation with impunity.
“While this is ongoing, the union leadership looks on helplessly. The ethics committee of the union seems also to have lost its relevance.
“In many states, members are left without any significant professional and job security. It is common for media managers, reporters and editors to be removed or replaced without any form of protest by the NUJ.”
He declared that there is a need for a radical change from the business as usual approach to the management of the union.
According to him; “Professional security and values; are understood to mean the extent to which a profession is organized, managed and protected by its leaders and members.”
He said the professional association should be allowed to work the way it is designed to perform effectively and efficiently. He added that professions are expected to be torch bearers to society
by insisting on adherence to due process, objectivity, fairness, firmness, justice, balance and respect of the rule of law and protection of public interest.
Continuing, Prof. Gambo said: “Based on the foregoing, any group, including journalists that claim to be professionals must be ready to accept responsibility for its shortcomings against well- established benchmark.
“Its leaders must intelligently and sincerely embrace change in order to guarantee the survival of the profession.”
On securing the profession, he said: “There is a general sense of guarantee of continuity of the association among its members; when the NUJ is seen as to satisfy and fulfill its needs and aspirations.
“There should be adequate assurances of support and defense of the association from internal and external aggression or threats.”
He commended the resilience of journalists of various media practicing in the state; despite threats of Boko Haram insurgency that lasted for a decade.
Comrade Bulama Talba of the State Information Chapel emerged winner as the Chairman of the Union after defeating his opponent Mallam Abdulsalam Mohammed of Borno Radio and Television (BRTV) with a margin of 93 to 80 votes.