By Peter Adaji, Jalingo
Jalingo Taraba – May 20, 2025
The Taraba State Government has drawn sharp criticism from the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which has declared an indefinite boycott of all state government activities, citing deliberate media exclusion and disregard for press freedom.
The Chapel, in a resolution issued after an emergency congress held in Jalingo, said its members were deliberately denied accreditation to cover the Taraba State International Investment Summit (TARAVEST) and the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the state.
The union condemned the development as a “calculated attempt to suppress press freedom and evade public scrutiny.”
In addition to the boycott, the Chapel passed a vote of no confidence in the Taraba State Commissioner for Information, Zainab Usman Jalingo, accusing her of incompetence and describing her as “a misfit for public communication.”
This followed remarks credited to the commissioner concerning a state-organised road walk—an event from which correspondents were also reportedly excluded.
The union maintained that its watchdog role remains intact despite the exclusion and pledged continued reportage of state affairs.
“It is clear this administration has something to hide. But we will not relent in our duty to the people,” the Chapel stated.
The journalists also criticised the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas, alleging that nearly two years into his tenure, no significant infrastructure—particularly roads—has been completed.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Information for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
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