ADDRESS BY HON. UMAR YAHAYA
MEMBER, REPRESENTING OMALA STATE CONSTITUENCY, KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY AS CHAIRMAN, OCCASION – KOGI STATE COUNCIL OF THE NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS (NUJ) 2026 PRESS WEEK
Protocols.
It is with profound honour and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as Chairman of the 2026 Press Week of the Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
First, let me congratulate the leadership of the NUJ in Kogi State, ably led by its Chairman, for sustaining this annual intellectual gathering. You have continued to keep the flame of responsible journalism alive in our state, and for that, you have my respect.
When you invited me – a lawmaker from Omala – to chair this occasion, I asked why. Your answer was clear: because the theme speaks directly to what we all must protect.
Distinguished colleagues, this theme is not academic. It is urgent.
We are in a season where a headline can set a community on fire, where a tweet can truncate a career built over years, and where AI can manufacture a video of a candidate that never existed.
In such a season, the question is: Who guards the gate?
The answer is you – the journalist. You are not just a reporter of democracy; you are a guardian of democracy.
The Constitution under Section 22 gives you the power to hold government accountable. But that power is not a licence for sensationalism. It is a call to duty.
Professional and ethical standards in election reporting mean three things:
One: Truth Over Speed. In the rush to break the news, do not break the nation. Verify. The 2027 general election will test us. Let us not be the conduit for fake results, for ethnic profiling, for unverified claims of violence. Let facts be sacred.
Two: Balance Over Bias. Let every party, every candidate, every region see fairness in your report. When you give voice to all, you deny oxygen to those who want to claim that the media is an extension of a political party.
Three: Conscience Over Coin. Brown envelope must not become brown verdict. The integrity of a journalist is more valuable than any inducement offered on election eve.
Let me use this opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to press freedom. As a member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, I have sponsored and supported laws that put people first – including the landmark Bill for Free Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare for Pregnant Women and Newborns in our state-owned hospitals. That bill passed because we listened to the people. And who connects us to the people? It is you, the journalists.
You know me in Omala as “Connect.” My constituents gave me that name not because I built roads alone, but because I connect people to government.
In Omala, that connection has meant:
– Connecting our children to education – through free JAMB forms for over 400 students yearly, N1 million Excellence Grants to top UTME scorers, a N6 million support fund for 101 students this October with 5,000 textbooks and learning materials, 27 tertiary scholarships, 30 laptops, and classroom renovations.
– Connecting our communities to healthcare and water – with the ongoing Ogodu Cottage Hospital, motorized boreholes in all 11 wards, and medical outreaches.
– Connecting our people to infrastructure and security – with the Abejukolo Township Road, solar lights, the police station at Ibado-Akpacha, and motorcycles for security operatives.
– Connecting over 400 families to livelihood – with farming tools, cash empowerment and skills training.
These are modest efforts. I am not the best yet. But they were only possible because you, the media, amplified the needs of our people and held us accountable.
As we prepare for elections, I charge you: Be the guardian. Be the gatekeeper who says NO to misinformation.
And to my colleagues in government, let me say: Let us not fear the press. Let us fund the press. Let us protect the press. A free press does not weaken government; it strengthens it.
On behalf of the good people of Omala State Constituency, I wish you a successful, impactful and historic Press Week.
May God bless the NUJ.
May God bless Kogi State.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Hon. Umar Yahaya (Connect)
Chairman, Occasion Of the 2026 NUJ Press Week.
