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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Alhaji Mogaji Ibraheem Olaniyan, has reaffirmed strong partnership with the media, describing journalists as indispensable allies in nation-building and police accountability.
He made the remarks in Abuja, while receiving executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, led by its Chairman, Ms Grace Ike, on a familiarisation visit to the PCRC National Secretariat.
He emphasized that the PCRC does not differentiate leadership roles by gender, stressing that competence and service, not gender, define leadership.
The PCRC chairman described journalists and police officers as two groups that enjoy unrestricted access to him, stressing that their roles are critical to governance, transparency and public enlightenment.
Olaniyan disclosed that since assuming office as National Chairman on November 27, the PCRC has made significant strides, including reclaiming land jointly owned by the PCRC, the Nigeria Police and the Ministry of Police Affairs, with plans underway to develop the property through partnerships with reputable developers.
He highlighted several welfare initiatives undertaken by the PCRC in support of the Nigeria Police, including scholarship programmes for children of police officers
The PCRC chairman pledged to facilitate strategic partnerships for the NUJ FCT Council, including engagements with prominent private sector stakeholders and philanthropists who support police welfare and national development.
On gender inclusion, he expressed concern over the neglect of retired female police officers in post-service appointments, despite their qualifications and experience.
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He urged Ms Ike to leverage her leadership position and media influence to bring sustained attention to the issue.
He said the media has a critical role to play in reshaping public perception and policy by highlighting the contributions of female police officers and pushing for inclusive appointment practices
He assured the NUJ delegation of PCRC’s continued support, describing the relationship between both bodies as a family bond and reaffirming the committee’s commitment to strengthening police-community-media collaboration for national stability and development.
Earlier in her remarks, the Chairman of FCT NUJ Council commended the PCRC National Chairman for his visible humanitarian efforts and described him as “man of the people,” whose activities had continued to attract public attention and goodwill.
She said the visit was expected to mark the beginning of a stronger partnership between the NUJ FCT and the PCRC, especially in promoting national development, community relations and positive police-media engagement.
“The NUJ FCT, as the umbrella body for all media organisations in Abuja, we remain committed to objective, balanced and responsible reporting. We also pledged to amplify PCRC activities across its network of over 700 journalists,” she stated.
She emphasised that collaboration must be mutual, assuring the PCRC of sustained publicity, syndication of stories and collective engagement whenever issues arise and added that the media’s role in community relations makes the NUJ a natural partner of the PCRC, stressing that journalists would continue to report the truth while supporting institutions that work for national stability.
She drew attention of the PCRC to the poor state of the NUJ Secretariat, particularly the absence of a functional congress hall, which forces hundreds of members to hold meetings under unfavourable conditions.
She appealed for support in completing the long-abandoned building project and also called for collaboration on affordable housing for journalists, similar to existing schemes in Lagos.
