The Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has strongly rejected the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development’s (CJID) 2024 Subnational Report on the state of press freedom in Nigeria, describing the findings on Imo State as “inaccurate, misleading, and biased.”
The report, titled “State of Press Freedom in Nigeria: 2024 Subnational Report,” which was widely circulated on multiple media platforms, placed Imo State in an unfavorable light regarding media freedom — a claim the NUJ insists does not reflect reality on the ground.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Imo NUJ, Comrade Ifeanyi Nwanguma, JP, and made available to journalists in Owerri, the union faulted the CJID report, stating that it lacked “factual basis” and did not capture the true relationship between the media and the current administration led by Governor Hope Uzodinma.
“The ranking of Imo State in the said report is far from the truth and does not reflect the cordial relationship that has existed between the government and journalists since the present administration came on board,” the statement read.
According to the NUJ, journalists in Imo State operate in a safe, professional environment where access to government agencies and officials is unhindered.
“It is on record that journalists in the state can freely approach government agencies for information without fear of harassment or intimidation,” the union stated.
The NUJ further insisted that the Uzodinma administration has consistently demonstrated a media-friendly disposition.
“The administration of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma has fostered a strong media-friendly environment, ensuring the safety and professional freedom of journalists in the state,” the statement added.
Contrary to the claims in the CJID index, the union maintained that practitioners in the state have had no issues with security agencies.
“Journalists in Imo State also enjoy cordial relations with all security agencies, with zero incidents of intimidation, harassment, or attacks on practitioners,” NUJ stated.
Describing the CJID’s assessment as “biased and unfounded,” the NUJ said it was disappointing that the organization did not carry out proper ground-level verification before reaching its conclusions.
“We urge the CJID team to visit Imo State for on-the-ground assessments rather than relying on unverifiable information,” the union advised.
The statement concluded with a call on Governor Hope Uzodinma to disregard what it termed a “baseless and politically motivated” report.
“We call on our media-friendly Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, to disregard the biased Openness Index Report as published by CJID,” the statement said.
The Union reaffirmed the NUJ’s commitment to upholding professional ethics and truth, while distancing the Imo State Council from the contents of the report.
“The NUJ, Imo State Council, therefore disassociates itself from the said report,” he declared.
