The Nigerian Union of Journalists,Rivers State chapter, has called on the government to provide better security and insurance cover for journalists to ensure effective discharge of their duties.

The union made the call in Port Harcourt during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day.

The Secretary of the chapter, Mr Stanley Job, said it was difficult for the press to be effective under the “current atmosphere of fear and threat’’to life.

“As people who move round the country for news, we need to be adequately secured, we need not to do our job in fear.’’

Also speaking, former Vice Chairman of the Rivers State council of NUJ, Mr Baridorn Sika, stressed the need for conducive environment for journalists to perform their best.

“Making journalists to perform their duties with fear means that objectivity and balanced reporting will be crippled.

“When there is fear due to insecurity, then there is no freedom, I am joining the call on government to provide security for the media.’’

The Political Editor, The Independent Monitor, a Port Harcourt-based tabloid, Mr Jim Opiki, called on the government to provide insurance covers for journalists due to the hazards of the job.

“What is freedom if the journalist is not insured, the hazards of their job are just too much; in the event of the unexpected, what happens ?.’’

Opiki said the morale of the Nigerian journalists could be dampened if the current state of fears was not tackled. (NAN)