Ngelale: It’s Untenable to Isolate Qualifications of Spokespersons in a Democracy – NUJ Says

…Decries assault on free speech

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has declared that it is not tenable in a democracy for any law to seek to determine the qualifications or otherwise of Spokespersons of political parties, Government Establishments or Private Companies.

In a statement on Monday, September 25, 2023, the umbrella body of practicing journalists in Nigeria, in what looks a veiled reference to an alleged position of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), in which it claimed that  the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale was not qualified for the job, the NUJ stressed that a situation where Journalists who are its members are ridiculed for being appointed Spokespersons of State Governments or the Presidency must be condemned.

The statement signed by Mr. Akorede R. Opevemi, Assistant National Secretary of the NUJ, said that journalists are eminently qualified to speak for their Principals, and should be allowed to do their work without unnecessary distractions thus condemned insinuations and statement on the Social media platforms to that effect.

The NUJ specifically said; “For the sake of emphasis, Ajuri Ngalela is eminently qualified to speak for his Principal and that applies to other Spokespersons at the Federal and State Levels.

“We hasten to add that any law, if any, that is established to curtail or regulate free speech is not justiciable in a democracy. It should be considered as archaic jurisprudence, therefore it must be ignored and discarded,” it said.

The NUJ noted that the Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale is a competent journalist whose qualification cannot be doubted.