The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has insisted that journalists remain key to the success of the fight against Covid-19 in the country.
He made his position known at a one-day workshop organized by the Kano state government in collaboration with the Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19, for media practitioners in Kano, on Saturday.
The workshop was titled ‘Prevention and Safety of Journalists Against Covid-19.’
He said that his government would continue to collaborate and partner with the media in the fight against the dreaded Covid-19 in the State.
“This occasion is very important. There is no way I can doubt that the partnership between the Ministerial Team on Covid-19 in Kano and the media in the state remains very important.
“As the health workers are vulnerable to risk, journalists are even more vulnerable because they have limited knowledge of the infectious disease.
“It is my believe that the workshop will further inform and educate journalists on the procedures and the best way to report Corona Virus.
“I am impressed and happy that this workshop is taking place in Kano. Members of the media are very critical in the war against infectious disease.
“The media are conversant with culture and attitude of the people, hence, they know the best way to pass information to the members of the public the way they can understand.
“The media also know the feelings of members of the public and can convey same to the government so that they can do the needful and reflect the needs and aspirations of members of the public to the authorities.
“The media have the responsibility to visit testing centres, Isolation Centres and sample collection centres to see what is happening there and report same so that the authorities will take note and do the right thing”, Ganduje said.
On his part, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, applauded the Kano state government for the initiative.
Represented by Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, the Minister said that he told the President on Friday when he met with Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 about the training and that he was excited about it.
“President Buhari expressed his gratitude to Governor Ganduje for empowering the Ministerial Team to organize this training workshop for journalists,” he said.
Kano State Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, explained that the workshop was aimed at building a stronger relationship between the media and medical practitioners in the state.
He described the training as a huge success and that journalists would get exposed to issues around security, safety and welfare as they report Covid-19 in the state.
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