The Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Abia State Council, has appealed to the Abia Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, to appeal to his officers not to continue harassing and manhandling journalists who are on duty.
The chairman of the chapel, Sam Obiinna Ibe, handed down this appeal when the executive and members of the chapel paid a curtsy call to the commissioner, lamenting that recently, a journalist in the state was beaten up in one of the banks while interviewing bank customers on the last organised labour strike in the country.
Journalist Ibe noted that the journalist was only carrying out his official duty and ought to be protected by the police instead of being beaten up while his work tools, including his camera, were seized by the police officers.
While commending the police commissioner for his proactiveness in ensuring the reduction of insecurity in the state, he noted that Abians now sleep with their two eyes closed, adding, “Your coming to Abia is not just strategic but divine. As you have shown commitment, security has drastically improved, and we are no longer witnessing violent crimes as they used to be before your coming.”.
The Correspondents chairman described it as a boost to the administration of Governor Alex Otti at a time when the governor is wooing investors into the state and further commended the massive renovation taking place at the police command, adding that the police need a conducive atmosphere to operate.
It was revealed that it is on record that any commissioner of police that comes to Abia is always lucky as they leave the state with a higher rank, as he wished the commissioner of the same privilege.
The chapel chairman urged the commissioner to carry the chapel along in its activities, adding, “Correspondents have an office, an identity, are trained, and are not faceless’.
In his response, the commissioner of police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, expressed his awareness of how tasking the journalist job is and assured that he will always partner with the Chapel.
He appealed for support from the chapel, assuring that he would ensure that the environment is conducive for journalists to operate as well as liaise with the chairman of the chapel to ensure that correspondents are carried along in their activities.
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