Imo NUJ Condemns CJID Report, Defends Uzodinma’s Media Record

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has rejected the “2024 Subnational Report on Press Freedom” released by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), describing it as biased, misleading, and detached from on-the-ground reality.

The Council blasted the report’s ranking of Imo State, insisting it distorts the state of press freedom and undermines the productive relationship between the media and the current administration.

The Council outlined the following facts:

1. The report’s ranking fails to reflect the cordial and respectful relationship that has flourished between journalists and the government since the administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma began.

2. Journalists in Imo State operate without fear, regularly engage government agencies, and access public information freely.

3. The Uzodinma administration has actively built a media-friendly environment that protects journalists and promotes their professional freedom.

4. The state’s journalists also maintain peaceful, respectful relationships with security agencies, with no reports of harassment or intimidation.

5. The NUJ firmly disassociates from the CJID’s publication and challenges the organization to conduct in-person assessments rather than depend on unverified sources.

6. The Council also urges Governor Uzodinma to disregard the CJID’s Openness Index report, branding it as unfounded propaganda that undermines journalistic integrity.