Media owners in the Northern region on the aiges of Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has expressed frustration over the activities of terrorists, bandits and other social vices bedeviling the North.
The association has, however announced the commencement of media advocacy and crusade against some of the ills confronting the North and the nation at large.
NBMOA is a forum for Northern media broadcast owners and other stakeholders in the broadcast industry for the promotion of regional and national development, professionalism and the growth of the broadcast industry in Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Abuja, acting Chairman of the association, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, said media practitioners in the North have been in the eye of the insecurity storm.
Alhaji Yelwa said the country has been engaged in the fight against the scourge of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, out of school children and drug abuse, adding thag these myriad of challenges were problem of poverty and underdevelopment.
According to him, government at all levels have been doing their best to deal with these challenges and restore nomalcy. Both kinetic and non kinetic strategies have been employed. New weapons of war have also been thrown into the fight.
He said: “Daily we are confronted by the negative consequences of these vices on the lives of our people. Our reporters daily report on villages being sacked and people abducted.
“We daily report the news of bandits writing demand notices to communities for ransoms or payment for permission to go to farms. We hear about executions of abductees for failure to pay for their freedom. We hear governors express their frustrations or confessing that some parts of their communities are no longer under their control. We report about a people who once were self sufficient but are now languishing in IDPs camps.
“The Northern media have been at the helm of reporting on these challenges. Some of our members have indeed been victims of insurgency, even as we daily engage in advocacy for the welfare of our troops and the victims insecurity. We shall in fulfilment of our sacred duties continue to hold government accountable, even as we offer our platforms for all shades of opinion on the search for a secure North and Nigeria.”
The association, however announced the flag off of its media advocacy and crusade against some the major challenges bedeviling the Northern region.
“In continuation of efforts to fight insecurity and contribute to the search for peace and prosperity for our region and nation, therefore, NMBOA wish to announce the flag off of its media advocacy and crusade against some the major challenges bedeviling our society.
“Our strategy is to use our outreach and various platforms spread across the North and beyond to engage governmental institutions at all levels, as well as the civil society, traditional and religious leaders and key stakeholders to evolve sustainable and community based responses and for community ownership of the war against insecurity.
“Through carefully tailored programming, targeted jingles, etc, listeners will be educated on their roles, and how their actions or inactions contribute to the outcome of the fight against insecurity. This is in continuation of our corporate social responsibility as the Fourth Estate of Realm.”