NGGT: Zamfara SSG, NUJ, NGGT Coordinator fault report on Minister, Gov’s absence

[FMINigeria]

                        The Zamfara State Government has been taken aback by a story published in the Peoples Daily alleging that it had abandoned the National Good Governance Tour of the state describing the report as  falsehood and calling for the sanctioning of the reporter.

Addressing journalists in Zamfara during the inspection of the Dan Marke Maru Electrification Project by members of the National Good Governance Tour, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Alhaji Hassan Atto said because of the importance the State Governor has attached to the National Good Governance Tour, he personally sought to extend the tour of projects to Monday next week.

He therefore reiterated that the State Government was fully in support of the Tour.

Further dismissing the fallacious report, the Coordinator of the NGGT, Mr. Peter Dama said the assumption that the National Good Governance Tour team is being rejected by various north western state governors "is not true".

"You are all aware that we have gone to Kebbi and we are already on the Tour of Zamfara State. We are also going to Katsina and they are already preparing for us.

"And may I say this fact that the Honourable Minister of Information did not abandon the Tour. He only went back to Abuja for the Federal Executive Council meeting and is on his way back to Zamfara to join the Team", Dama pointed out to the journalists.

Also, the Secretary, Nigerian Union of Journalists, North West Zone, Mr. Shehu Ahmed who also frowned at the inaccurate report stated that the matter would be taken to the Union's Committee on Ethical Matters.

His words: "It is unethical for any reporter to report falsehood. The NUJ has provision where such reporters are sanctioned. A good report should be objective and should be balanced. What balancing means is that when you do a report, you must reach out to all the people concerned. This Tour has a Coordinator, the Minister is on it and if any reporter is filing in a report in respect of this Tour they should have reached out to those concerned to find out if the claims are true or false.

"You should have also reached out to the leadership of the Union because we are stakeholders on this Tour. So let me advice that we should please cross check our facts and we should balance our reports".

The Commissioner of Information Zamfara State, Alh. Ibrahim Magaji wondered why the reporter who filed in the report did not call him to verify his assumption or to get in touch with the Special Adviser on Media and Communication or his colleague in the public enlightenment directorate, or Director of Press or DD Media in the Government House, Gusau.

"Let me say that as we were coming from Bungudu to Dan Marke Maru to visit the electrification project with the Team, His Excellency (the Governor) just called me that they were on their way to the airport. The Honourable Minister of Information, Honourable Minister of Environment want to catch a flight to Sokoto so that they will meet us anywhere we are on the Tour.

"So to say that this Team has been rejected by the Zamfara State Government is a big lie. The NUJ should please take action to serve as deterrent to people like him who are mischief makers. We are well prepared, we are on the Tour so nobody should go and tell lies against us", the Commissioner warned.

Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria