The Sokoto State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has directed that any member willing to take political appointment from any political party should tender his/her resignations with immediate effect.
The council gave the directive on Saturday in a statement jointly signed by the chairman and Secretary, Dalhatu Abdullahi and Muhammad Bello, respectively.
According to the statement, the decision is in the adoption of one of the resolutions at the NUJ National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Benin, Edo state capital.
“The NEC being the highest decision making organ of the union, resolved that any member upon receiving any political appointment should resign his membership of the union.
“This is to avoid a situation in which the NUJ will be dragged into or seen as belonging to or supporting any political party.
“Such members are however entitled to return to the union at the expiration of their political appointments,” it said.
The union said that report reaching the state council indicated that political parties were now including the names of journalists in their various campaign committees especially that of publicity at local and state levels.
“We wish to remind political parties that the ethics of journalism profession disallowed any member from being partisan.
“Thus, every Nigerian has the constitutional rights to elect any political party of his choice, but the ethics of the profession encourages members to remain apolitical being the fourth estate of the realm,” the statement added.
The council further directed all chapels in the state to ensure that members willing to take up political appointments should be made to tender their resignations of the membership of NUJ.
“Such members should not enjoy any of the privileges from the chapel, council and the national secretariat,” it said
