By Samuel Sunday
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, has commenced a sensitization and enforcement campaign against quack journalists and impersonators operating in the state.
The Anti-Quackery Committee of the Council flagged off the exercise in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, in collaboration with security agencies.
The committee urged members of the public to deal only with certified journalists and verify their identity through the union’s official identification sticker.
Chairman of the NUJ Anti-Quackery Committee, Mr. Abiodun Olofe, said the exercise was aimed at protecting the public from misinformation allegedly spread by unqualified individuals posing as journalists.
He advised members of the public to be cautious and avoid granting access or recognition to persons who cannot establish their professional status.
Olofe warned individuals impersonating journalists or using the NUJ emblem without authorization to desist forthwith, stating that the committee would invoke appropriate legal measures against violators.
He disclosed that the union had identified some persons allegedly using the NUJ sticker despite not being certified members of the profession.
According to him, the campaign will not be a one-off exercise. The committee, he said, plans to conduct similar operations regularly across the state.
“The exercise will be sustained, it could be weekly or monthly until quackery is significantly reduced in the profession,” Olofe said.
He commended security agencies for their support, noting that the NUJ has maintained a cordial relationship with law enforcement. He explained that security personnel accompanied the team to ensure compliance with lawful instructions.
Also speaking, the Chairman of NUJ, Ekiti State Council, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, said the campaign was necessary to restore professionalism and protect the integrity of journalism.
Babatuyi said the union had observed increasing impersonation, particularly by individuals who assume that owning an Android phone automatically qualifies them as journalists.
He stressed the need to distinguish professional journalists from content creators, warning that the union would prosecute anyone arrested for impersonation or unauthorized use of the NUJ emblem.
He described Tuesday’s operation as an initial warning, adding that the union would embark on a more extensive clampdown across Ekiti State in the coming weeks.
