From Teryima Ajijah Jos
An expert in trauma, Dr Yusuf Maigari, a consultant psychiatrist from the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos, Plateau state has stated that trauma could affect the productivity of journalists. He, therefore, advised employers of journalists to consider the welfare of their employees for better service delivery.
Dr Maigari stated this Friday in Jos, at a training workshop organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Plateau State Council, entitled: “Training for Journalists on Election Coverage and Entrepreneurship” to retrain colleagues on election coverage.
The medical facilitator revealed that traumatized journalists could turn in haphazard reports that might trigger already charged situations.
He said trauma could lead to distressed persons committing suicide, thereby creating more trauma to their relations. He urged people to seek help from professionals, rather than go to the streets.
Dr Maigari urged journalists to avoid places and situations that could lead them into been distressed and become traumatized.
Earlier, a facilitator, who presented a lecture on entrepreneurship, Dr Haggai Gutap of NGCARES advised journalists to imbibe the culture of saving for the rainy day.
The financial expert encouraged journalists to avoid people who lure them into spending hard earned money extravagantly and continue in abject poverty.
Journalists were urged to join financial cooperatives to enable them became finally independent.
The Director General, Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Joseph Lengman, in a paper titled: “Networking and collaboration” charged journalists to work in harmony with other colleagues for the purpose of better productivity.
Speaking on the role of journalists in the 2023 election coverage, the DG, who was represented by the Desk Officer Information, Mr Kenneth Dakop implored journalists to apply professionalism.
In a vote of thanks during the closing ceremony of the two-day training workshop, Chairman (NUJ), Plateau State Council, Paul Jatau, thanked all those who participated in the training and charged beneficiaries to use the knowledge acquired and improve on the job.
The NUJ chairman equally appreciated individuals and organizations, who assisted the council with funds towards organizing the event, he equally appreciated all the facilitators for their time at the programme.
Participants where chosen from the 11 chapels of the NUJ Plateau State. Council, the first set were the field journalists (reporters) while those who are about exiting the journalism profession on retirement took their turn Friday and were trained on entrepreneurship.