By Taye Obateru
Jos—Spokesman of the Labour Party in Plateau State, Mr. Sylvanus Namang, has described as unfortunate the strained relationship between journalists and the state government blaming it on what he called “fundamental parochialism” of the administration, saying the state government “cannot win the war.”

Reacting to the threatened boycott of coverage of government activities by journalists and the reaction of the government’s publicists, he said other sectors of the state had faced worst times under the administration.

Namang faulted the attitude of those in government who think the state media alone can give adequate publicity to government’s activities.

He said it was unheard of, even under military administrations, that a governor would be shielded from journalists for about five years as had been alleged, saying the current face-off was unnecessary and avoidable.

He said: “Other strata of the state’s economy have passed through worst times under the Jang administration. Once he has got to this kind of trouble with the press, it is clear that the man has failed and there is no way he can win the war.”

Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in the state had, Monday, resolved to boycott the state government’s activities over her inability to end the protracted crises in the state which had increasingly exposed journalists to danger in the course of their duties, among other issues.