Abia CP Calls for Responsible Information Management to Save Lives

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The Commissioner of Police Abia State, Mushapha Mohammed Bala, has called on media professionals to cultivate the habit of responsible information management in order to avert stoking crisis and endangering lives. The Abia CP, who assumed duty late October, made the call when he received the executives of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, who paid him a courtesy visit at the State Police Command headquarters, Umuahia.

He said that in a crisis situation lives are saved when information is properly and responsibly managed whereas sensationalism and irresponsible mismanagement of information come with disastrous consequences. CP Bala, therefore, harped on proper management information to save lives, resolve conflicts and nip the crisis in the bud, adding that journalists should see themselves as an integral part of security management.

He described the media as a critical stakeholder in election management, adding that, as partners in progress, the media and other security agencies must work together to help the nation achieve a successful transition programme in 2023.

“There is no way we can do this job alone without partnering with the media hence there must be synergy between the partners so that the goal of achieving sustainable security would be realised,” he said. “We will carry you along in all our activities. We must work together to ensure peace in Abia and a successful conduct of the 2023 general election,” the CP added. Abia State with 32 Police Divisions and six Area Commands is the first duty post of Bala following his promotion to the rank of CP.

His last duty post was in Imo State where he was a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Owerri. While acknowledging the relative peace in God’s Own State, the new CP assured Abia people and residents that he would work hard in order to sustain and improve on the existing peace in the state.



Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Abia NUJ, Chief Obinna Ibe, in his remarks, said that the delegation of Correspondents were on the visit to formally welcome the new CP and renew their working relation with the Command.

He pledged full cooperation of his members to assist the police in their duty of maintaining peace in Abia and making the state unattractive to criminal elements.
Ibe urged the Abia police boss not to use the pervasi

ve misinformation and disinformation in the social media to rate the performance of Abia journalists.
He noted that the influx of unprofessional people, who largely operate in the social media space, has muddled up the journalism profession and blighted the business of information dissemination, control and management.

Nonetheless, the Correspondents Chapel Chairman stated that, as core professionals, the Correspondents would not waver in performing their duties in line with their professional ethics for the overall good of the society.