The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Usman Umar Shehu, has accused members of the press of rushing to publish or air negative stories about the activities of men of his Command, while refusing to report their achievements most often., the

He said, it baffles his mind to see minor cases of crimes being promoted on the front pages of the national dailies as well as headlines of broadcast media, but their successes in policing are not being reported or even when reported but hide inside the newspapers.

CP Shehu, who made the complaint when the executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna state council paid him a visit in the police command headquarters on Wednesday, said most cases involving big and prominent persons are being reported in the media, instead of the ordinary citizens who deserved such publicity much.

In his words, “it is counterproductive to the actual essence of the media that works for the good of the people and holds the government accountable to them to focus special attention on big men and women, while ordinary people wallow in pains.”

The CP then insisted that, whenever the command makes a breakthrough or even lost their men in crime prevention and control, the media look the other way, and hardly report it prominently on the front pages or as headlines news items in the broadcast bulletins, but when a minor crime case occur, the rush to hear the side of the police and report it prominently.

He then admitted that his command is making landmark achievements in crime prevention and control, which made both the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Solomon Arase, and the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-rufa’i, to give them letters of commendation, but hardly do the media both print and electronic report it.

The CP then appeal for the increased synergy and collaboration with the media by making it a periodic event of interacting with the media so that their successes are reported on daily, weekly and monthly basis.

“We don’t have problem with the media reporting criminal acts, but as they do that, they should also balance up by report our victories, accomplishments and feats, please,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Garba Muhammad, told the CP and his lieutenants that, his council is ready to synergise with the police command for the benefit of society, adding that, his members of the press are sometimes encountering hitches to hear the side of the police in the events of criminal acts.

Muhammad then enumerated some of the council’s success so far which include introduction of entrepreneurship training for members due to the non-payment of salaries coming up soon, as well as professional training and retraining for members that have deficiency.

The NUJ Chairman also solicited for the establishment of a forum between members of the press and the police command whereby issues bordering on security, crime control and prevention would be discussed periodically, in the best interest of the society at large.

“We are ever ready to listen to anyone and take necessary action, if reports of unethical conducts are reported to us. This is s new leadership in the making. Again, we are one and does not have any faction as some are trying to make the police command know,” he said.

The courtesy visit which later became an interactive section between Kaduna NUJ executives, accompanying journalists and the leadership of Kaduna state police command headed by the Police commissioner Shehu and his deputies discussed extensively on a wide range of issues of synergy, interactive forum as well as continuous working together for the advantage of the state.

•Photo shows Kaduna Commissioner of Police Umar Shehu and Chairman Kaduna NUJ, Comrade Garba Muhammad, during the courtesy call.

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