UNIPORT Campus Journalism Union Inducts New Executives, Others

The Union of Campus Journalists, (UCJ-UNIPORT) of the University of Port Harcourt, penultimate Saturday, inaugurated its newly elected executive and standing committee members.

This was in preparation for the smooth running of union’s next dispensation of activities towards the general welfare of students’ welfare.

Hosted virtually via Google Meet, the inauguration had the executives take their oath of office with about thirty other attendees witnessing the occasion.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Confidence B. Kponi, the outgone cum returning President of the Union urged the newly elected executives to work hard to justify the trust reposed in the by the students’ polity.

He also urged for strong cooperation amongst them so that they can achieve all they set to do.

Speaking on “Why Campus Journalism: CJs’ Role in the Advancement of Media Literacy.”  Ms Joke Kujenya, a senior journalist and Mentor, who is the Executive-In-Charge,  Media Mentors Leadership Academy (MMLA), a mentoring outfit, corroborated the call on the newly elected officers to do their best and work together as a team.

On the main theme, Kujenya advised the student journalists to be “critical thinkers in reporting issues such as student safety, wellness, academic standards, and campus policies. She said campus journalists should promote transparency, unity and fairness between students and the university management if they get good grasp of the profession.

“Campus journalism serves as a stepping stone to career life in the mainstream media; thus, each student must develop the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media content in a variety of forms.

“For several reasons, campus journalism is imperative, primarily, it provides a platform for students to express their perspective on various issues that helps to enhance their critical thinking and communication skills, which are essential for success in their potential career,” she said.

She further charged the UNIPORT campus journalists on the need for media literacy by “deploying the importance of fact-checking, through evaluating sources aimed at defacing the image of the institution from misinformation, disinformation and fake news.

She stressed: “work with the university administrators and faculty to promote media literacy as an essential skill for students to develop, and also advocate for its inclusion  in the curriculum.

“Directly teach media literacy skills on how to identify bias in news coverage and stress on fact-checking sources on the open campus community beyond the mass communications’ students,” she added.

After the swearing-in of its officers, pioneer president and Ex-officio member, Wisdom Okezie,  who is now a Media Personnel and Reporter for Alimosho-news, Lagos, congratulated the incoming executives.

Wisdom noted that the Union which was founded in March 2021, have gone far in just two years, despite “the askew financial support especially from stakeholders whom we expected would have keyed into the vision.”

He outlined commendable prospects of the UCJ-UNIPORT as the first official media on campus to receive endorsement from the Students’ Union Government (SUG), and the Dean of Students Affairs Unit to transmit information from elections on the campus each year to the university community.

“Our objective coverage gave us wider acceptance, respect, and the much-desired publicity to blossom through those turbulent times.”

Moved by the efforts of his worthy successor, Confidence Kponi, he buttressed the points that the Union has tremendously improved in its commitment to maintain and carry out training, conferences, workshops both within the campus as well as in collaboration with notably revered media organisations.

“I was also excited when I read of members of our great union winning awards, being nominated and participating in top-rated media-based discussions facilitated by the very best in both the broadcast, print and new media, in Nigeria.

“I want to say with all seriousness and in all sincerity, that I am proud of your individual and collective achievements,” he added.

Wisdom further urged the university management and  communications department to embrace the student journalism outfit and recognized same as an Industrial Training placement for students.

After the presentations, the newly elected executives were sworn-in to assume their respective offices.

Newly sworn-in UCJ-UNIPORT executives are: Mr. Confidence Kponi, who returned as the Union President, Ms Helen Ogbowu Okechukwu, Vice President, Ms Ezinne Okoroafor, Public Relations, Ms Vivian Eberechukwu, General Secretary and Favour Onyige, Financial Secretary, respectively.

Others sworn-in are members of the Publicity Committee, headed by:  Ezinne Okoroafor, with Abraham Ike, Gift Ngadiba and Esther Eton.

Also, the Editorial and Production committee led by; Edeki Ewomazino as editor-in-chief, Jason, Precious Umeh, Chidima  Clement, and Precious Nkemjika.

Financial Committee members are led by the VC, Ms Helen Ogbowu Okechukwu, with Success Michael and Mercy Agha, as members.

Also in attendance for the 2nd UCJ-UNIPORT inauguration are other special guests including;  Mr Ayoola Adeleke, NUCJ South-South Zonal Secretary, erstwhile President of UCJ Ilorin, Adedimeji Quayyım Abdul-Hafeez among others.

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