From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Practicing Journalists in Kogi state have expressed readiness to partner with the State Internal Revenue Service on tax administration enlightenment and adequate publicity of its activities.

Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel, Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Segun Salami, gave the indication when he led his members on a visit to the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe.

Salami promised a robust collaboration with the agency in creation of public awareness on the need for all taxable citizens to embrace prompt payment of their personal income taxes.

“Our task as journalists is to assist the agency in meeting up with its target of revenue generation for Kogi government through our social responsibility duty of enlightening the people to key into regular and prompt payment of their taxes as when due

“Journalists also owe it as a duty to alert citizens on the need to contribute their quota towards the development of their state and the nation in general by meeting up with their financial commitment on prompt tax payment”

Salami advocated for quarterly media interaction with the agency as part of the partnership move in publicising  its activities.

He commended the Executive Chairman and his management team for the resouding success so far recorded in generating more revenue for the state government to provide the needed democracy dividends to the people.

Responding, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, expressed delight over the prevailing cordial relationship between his angency and practicing Journalists in Kogi since assumption of office.

He promised to sustain the feat in the interest of both parties geared towards achieving accelerated transformation of Kogi.

Enehe also  gave an assurance that he would live above board under the partnership agreement which according to him would go a long way in improving the agency’s services of mobilizing resources for the development of the state.

From Yagana Ali, Yola.

The International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) has organized a three -day training for 25 journalists on effective First Aid Treatment to prospective casualties.

The workshop, which took place in Yola drew the beneficiaries from different media houses across the state.

In a presentation, Communication Field Officer of the organization, Lemdi Edmond took the participants memory lane from its cradle to limelight.

He pointed out that ICRC intervenes basically in crises involving armed conflicts translating to man -made or unnatural disasters.

Edmond further explained that while the International Federation of the Red Cross intervenes in the area of natural disasters, like flood and earthquake, the National Red Cross Societies handles both natural and man – made situations.

The Communication Field Officer identified seven principles of the Committee to include humanity, impartiality,Neutrality and independence among others.

On their parts, First Aid and Pre-hospital Care Field Office Yola and Abuja respectively, Charity Maxwell and Daniel Ebodor jointly exposed the participants to the meaning, relevance and significance of the First Aid.

They maintained that First Aids basically aimed to save life, prevent condition from further deteriorating and promote speedy recovery.

They identified truthfulness, sympathy, resourcefulness, tolerance and empathy among others as qualities of a good First Aider.

The duo also enumerated and extensively explained Primary Survey variables relating to First Aid as Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and chest compression.

Interestingly, the participants were vigorously engaged in practical First Aid treatment on various aspects having to do with Burns, Fainting, Fracture and bleeding among others.

Highlights of the training were questions and answers, presentation of certificate and First Aid Kits to the participants

 By David Torough, Abuja

The Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to support the print media to prevent it  from going extinct.

Members of NPAN said this in Abuja, during a Business Lunch for some of their colleagues who were recently appointed as ministers.

Four members of the association were recently appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu.

They include Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Economy; Mr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development; Alhaji Mohammed  Idris Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, and Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy.

The President of NPAN,  Malam Kabir Yusuf, said that the media deserved to be supported because it played an integral role in national development.

Yusuf commended Tinubu for finding so many members of the association worthy to be appointed as ministers.

The publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, and life patron of NPAN, Mr Sam Amuka, said that it was commendable to have four of his colleagues as ministers.

He advised the ministers to represent the association well, urging them to use their influence in government to ensure a free press.

“Let the Newspapers Breathe,” he told the Ministers as he emphasised the need for Federal government intervention to save the Newspaper industry from imminent collapse.

“The Newspapers are losing revenues everyday,” Amuka stated.

In his response, the Finance Minister, Wale Edun, assured the association that Tinubu’s economic reforms would be beneficial to all individuals and groups within the country.

Edun urged members of NPAN to support the government by being factual and objective in their reportage.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who  described himself as an NPAN ambassador in government, urged journalists to be analytical and to always resist the temptation to peddle falsehood.

“Do not join the crowd to peddle falsehood, ” he said.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described himself as the luckiest information minister in history.

Malagi said that his plan was to change the face of government communication.

“Trust in the communication coming out of government will be encouraged.

“I will not tell lies; I will say it the way it is. You people should also report it the way it is, ” he said.

He said that the government would also take steps to restore the integrity of public broadcasting by equipping and empowering government-owned broadcast houses.

Also present at the business lunch was veteran journalist and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, as well as prominent senior Nigerian journalists, proprietors, President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and that of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba( additional reports from NAN)