By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Network of peace journalists on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) program with coordination from Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) - Kaduna, has expressed satisfaction over the just concluded 1 day engagement with Media Practitioners in Kaduna State towards the coverage of the 2023 general elections.
While emphasizing on the need for stakeholders to support and to give protection to journalists that would be covering the elections at various communities and locations.
In a press statement made available to the media organizations by the team leader of network Ibrahima Yakubu, thanked Mercy Corps (MC) and the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), partners with other stakeholders on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) for organizing the event which according to him has availed journalists on the culture and ethics of peace journalism.
While encouraging other non-governmental organization and civil society organizations to sensitize the general public through the medium on the dangers associated with hate speech, vote buying and thuggery among youth groups.
According to him Media practitioners in the country should sensitize and educate Nigerians not to see the 2023 general elections as a do or die affairs.
"Media owners in Kaduna State and the country as a whole should support and equip their reporters with modern equipments so as to enable them discharge their duty effectively during the coverage of the general elections.
They called on security agencies and paramilitary and equally the communities to provide security to all the journalists, when covering the general elections at the polling Centers before, during and after the elections.
He appealed to media organizations to provide kits and other necessary equipment to enable journalist carried out their responsibilities toward disseminating information to the general public.
"Religious leaders should not use their sermons and congregation to preach disunity during,before, and after the elections, so as not to cause division among fellow citizens in the States and Nigeria as a whole.
In conclusion, the network thank mercy Corp and interfaith mediation center for spending 3 years of monthly peace journalism training media which has contributed immensely towards promoting interreligious tolerance and better understanding among different faith base organization in the country.
Over 1000 Nigeria journalists received the monthly training.