The South-South zonal Director of Business Day Newspaper, Mr Ignatius Chukwu, presenting a paper during a one day capacity building programme organized by NAWOJ in Rivers State.
From Blessing Ibunge, Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists in Rivers State (NAWOJ) yesterday, had a one day capacity building workshop for members on the role of media in the implementation of the Rivers State Action plan on 1325.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was the first official and lawful global document to acknowledge the lopsided and heavier toll that war and conflict have on women and girls in Nigeria.
In his paper presentation on how to identify and tackle fake news, the South-South zonal director of Business Day Newspaper, Mr Ignatius Chukwu x-rayed how best a journalist should carry out his/her duties so as not to mar but enhance peace building in the society.
He stressed on the need to determine what is news that can be disseminated and advised journalists to desist from reporting fake news in order to gain credibility.
On her part, the south-south zonal coordinator of West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP) Chief Emen Okon noted that to achieve a sustainable peace and development in the society, women must be seen as the most vulnerable that must be integrated into all the peace keeping operations.
She informed that 1325 is a resolution adopted by United Nations Security Council 13 years ago that acknowledges the disproportionate impact of violence on women especially in conflicts and the call for rectification.
The WANEP coordinator in the south-south called for the implementation of the document that underscores the role of women in peace building, regretting that most peace keeping guidelines fail to integrate the rights of women and girls.
She enjoined women journalists to amplify the state action plan on 1325, find out if the action plan is budgeted for and the level of its implementation, adding that stakeholders who ignored the critical role of women in peace building never got it right.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Chairperson of NAWOJ in Rivers State, Mrs Susan Serekara-Nwikhana described the workshop as very apt considering the importance of information dissemination to peace building or escalation of conflicts in the society.
“To gain public credibility, reporters are expected to practice what is now popularized as ‘journalism of responsibility’ by presenting the facts to the audience to hold their opinion on the presented facts”, she stated.
She maintained that to achieve the ideals of sustainable peace and development in the society there is need for a stronger synergy between the media and government to sift the truth from rumors in public affairs management.
Commending the speakers for their educative and informative impact on the participants, the NAWOJ chairmanship expressed satisfaction over the commitment of WANEP towards the promotion of peace in the society.
