Daga Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina TIMES
A wani muhimmin jawabi da Dr. Sama’ila Balarabe daga Kwalejin Kimiyya da Fasaha ta Hassan Usman Katsina ya gabatar yayin bikin cikar Ƙungiyar ‘Yan Jarida ta Najeriya (NUJ) shekaru 70 da kafuwa, ya yi bitar yadda ƙungiyar ta fara, ci gabanta da kalubalen da take fuskanta tun daga shekarar 1955 har zuwa zamanin fasaha a yau.
Jawabin da aka gabatar a dakin taro na Hayatt Regency Suite, Katsina, a ranar 17 ga Yuni, 2025, ya hasko matakai biyar da NUJ ta bi a tarihin ta.
Mataki na Farko: Asalin Kafuwar NUJ (1955-1960)
Dr. Balarabe ya bayyana cewa NUJ ta samu kafuwa a watan Maris 1955 a birnin Legas, a lokacin mulkin mallaka, inda ’yan jarida matasa masu kishin ƙasa suka kafa ƙungiyar domin kare muradun ‘yancin faɗar albarkacin baki da gina ƙasa mai cike da gaskiya da adalci. Ya ce kafaffun jaridu kamar West African Pilot, Daily Times, da Nigerian Tribune sun taka muhimmiyar rawa wajen nasarar wancan lokaci.
Mataki na Biyu: Zamanin Gina Ƙasa Bayan Ƙyamar Mulkin Mallaka (1960s – 1970s)
Bayan samun ‘yancin kai a 1960, NUJ ta faɗaɗa rawar da take takawa wajen wayar da kan al’umma da ƙarfafa haɗin kai. Sai dai wannan lokacin an sha fama da rikice-rikicen siyasa, bambancin kabilanci da addini, da kuma tsangwama daga gwamnati kan harkokin jarida.
Mataki na Uku: Jaridu a ƙarƙashin Tsangwama da Mulkin Soja (1970s – 1999)
A lokacin mulkin soji, NUJ ta fuskanci matsin lamba mai tsanani musamman daga wasu dokoki kamar Decree 3 na 1967 da Decree 4 na 1984 wanda gwamnatin Janar Muhammadu Buhari ta shimfiɗa, wanda ya hana ’yan jarida faɗar gaskiya. Ya tuna yadda aka tsare fitattun ’yan jarida kamar Tunde Thompson da Nduka Irabor saboda labaran da suka wallafa.
Mataki na Hudu: Zamanin Mulkin Dimokuradiyya (1999–2015)
Bayan dawowar mulkin dimokuradiyya a 1999, NUJ ta sake samun damar faɗaɗa ayyukanta. Ta mayar da hankali wajen horar da mambobinta da tallata dokar Freedom of Information Act da aka zartar a 2011, wacce ke bai wa ’yan Najeriya damar samun bayanai ba tare da wata tangarda ba.
Duk da haka, Dr. Balarabe ya ce ’yan jarida a yanzu na fuskantar ƙalubale da dama kamar ƙarancin albashi, matsin lambar siyasa, rashin kayan aiki, da kuma haɗarin aiki musamman a lokutan zaɓe ko rikici.
Mataki na Biyar: Zamanin Fasaha da Sabbin Kalubale (2015 zuwa yau)
A yau, a cewar Dr. Balarabe, aikin jarida ya fuskanci manyan sauye-sauye sakamakon zuwan fasahar zamani, shafukan sada zumunta da ƙirƙirar bayanai na karya. Ya ce wannan ya jefa ƙungiyar NUJ cikin ƙalubalen yaki da yaɗa ƙarya, rashin sahihancin bayanai, da kuma cin zarafi a intanet da barazanar 'cyberbullying'.
Tarihin NUJ da Shugabannin Da Suka Gabata
Dakta Balarabe Ya lissafa wasu daga cikin shugabannin ƙungiyar a matakin ƙasa da jihohi. A matakin ƙasa, ya ce shugaban farko shi ne Mogolaji Obunu daga 1955 zuwa 1959, sannan aka samu shugabanni irinsu Ebun Adeseye, Larry Obunbite, da Chris Isiguzo. A Katsina kuwa, shugaban farko bayan kafuwar jihar a 1987 shi ne Hafiz Ahmed, sannan Malam Musa, da sauransu, har zuwa shugaba na yanzu Malam Mannir Dan Ali.
A ƙarshe, Dr. Sama’ila Balarabe ya jaddada cewa NUJ ta taka muhimmiyar rawa a ci gaban demokuraɗiyya a Najeriya, yana mai roƙon gwamnati da sauran masu ruwa da tsaki da su ɗauki matakan inganta walwalar ’yan jarida, su samar da kayan aiki, da kuma horar da su akai-akai domin su ci gaba da taka rawar gani a gina ƙasa.
“Jarida ’yar gwagwarmaya ce. Ba za a iya samun dimokuraɗiyya mai ƙarfi ba tare da ‘yancin faɗar albarkacin baki da walwalar ’yan jarida ba,” in ji Dr. Balarabe.
