News Desk
The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State, agreed to partner with the state police command to fight crime and criminality in the state.
The chapel and the police seal their partnership during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Augustina Ogbodo, in her office at the police headquarters, Abakaliki, the state capital.
Acting Chairman of the Chapel, Uchenna Inya, said members of the chapel paid a courtesy visit to the Police Commissioner to strengthen the relationship between the police and journalists in crime prevention and control.
Inya, who is also the Ebonyi State Correspondent of the New Telegraph Newspaper, described the Police Commissioner as an experienced police officer who has stabilized the security system in the state through her proactive behavior and resilience in the fight against criminality in the state. Within two months, she was posted to Ebonyi State as the Commissioner from Anambra State.
Introducing the chapel to the police commissioner, he said, “Correspondents Chapel are journalists whose media head offices are not domiciled in the state and who engage in investigative, development, and peace journalism in their social responsibility to keep society informed and educated.
“We want to thank you, ma, for receiving us despite your tight schedule. We are here to partner with the state police command in the fight against crime and criminality in our dear state through our reportage as a watchdog of society.
“We know you as an experienced police officer who has been in the state police command. As an acting commissioner of police, you were transferred to Anambra State and were posted back to Ebonyi as commissioner of police.
“We are happy that you are with us again in our dear state, and we know you will deliver having been in the state and knowing its nooks and crannies. We have seen what you have been able to do within the two months you were transferred back to our state by stabilizing the state security system, and we are happy that residents of Ebonyi State can now sleep with their two eyes closed”, he told the CP.
Inya used the occasion to call on the Police Commissioner to checkmate the activities of some of her men, who are recalcitrants, thereby bringing a bad image to the command through their uncivil attitudes toward members of the public, including journalists.
He reported a case in which some policemen almost vandalized the vehicle of a journalist in the state, Celestine Okeh of the Times Newspapers, when he was driving into Abakaliki Township Stadium to join the state Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) peaceful protest a few weeks ago over the federal government petroleum subsidy policy, which has brought untold hardship to Nigerians.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Augustina Ogbodo, commended members of the chapel for the visit and described them as very important in the fight against crime and criminality in the state.
She assured me that she would continue to relate to the chapel in her efforts to secure the state.
“The truth is that journalists are very indispensable in information dissemination, you hold the key to it. The command will continue to partner with the press for crime prevention and control”, she stated.
She expressed dismay at the attitude of some policemen, whom she described as recalcitrants who have been bringing bad names to the police system, saying that was the reason why the Inspector General of Police doesn’t spare them when they are caught with their bad behaviors.
