By Okerafor Athanasius, Jalingo
The Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Taraba State Council, has decried non-accreditation and non-inclusion of its members for the coverage of the visit of President Bola Tinubu to the State.
The chapel comprises reporters of newspapers, radio and TV stations as well as blogs with headquarters outside the state.
The aggrieved journalists also expressed dismay over the State government’s failure to accredit its members for coverage of the high-profile Taraba State International Investment Summit (TARAVEST) scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
In a strongly-worded resolution passed during an emergency congress led by its Chairman, Comrade Charles Akpeji of The Guardian Newspaper, yesterday at the chapel’s Secretariat in Jalingo, the State capital, the aggrieved journalists accused the State government of deliberately sidelining the national press during major state functions.
Describing the government’s action as a calculated attempt to gag the press, the chapel unequivocally condemned it, labelling same “as a blatant disregard for press freedom and transparency.”
The chapel subsequently announced an immediate and indefinite boycott of all Taraba State government activities.
As part of its resolution, the chapel passed a vote of no confidence on the Taraba State Commissioner for Information, Barrister Zainab Usman Jalingo.
This followed a statement credited to her regarding the invitation of accredited journalists for a road walk—an event in which members of the Correspondents’ Chapel were excluded.
The journalists also reassured residents of Taraba State of its unwavering commitment to its watchdog role.
Furthermore, the resolution affirmed that journalists will continue to report on issues affecting citizens and will hold the government accountable—regardless of intimidation or exclusion.
