“Accept These Press Vests As Identification For Journalists” - CJTU NW Chapter President, BAKAH DERICK.

By Raymond Dingana.

The North West Chapter President of the Cameroon Journalists Trade Union, CJTU has appealed to State and Non-State actors in the armed conflict rocking the NW/SW Regions of Cameroon to accept the Press Vest recently handed over to Journalists who are members of CJTU as identification for Media Organs. Bakah Derick was speaking Sunday November 03, 2019 during the distribution ceremony of Press Vests to members of CJTU at Hill Top Hotel, Up Station-Bamenda. In addition, Bakah Derick underscored the need for State and Non-State Actors to respect all those who wear the Vests as Journalists with reputation whom are only out to do their job.

He indicated that, there is a strong need for media identification especially in crisis situations to ensure that journalists are identified .He says is within CJTU policy to ensure that members of CJTU are identified and that, the Press Vests are for professional purposes only:

“This is not a weapon for journalists to use for misconduct; it is not a weapon to use to harass people in the name of journalism. These are tools handed out to assist journalists do their work. These Vests were gotten with the support of the UN System in Cameroon and by that, we are saying these structures recognised these Vests as they are on us and for professional reasons only”.

Bakah Derick also used the event to underscore the need for journalists to stay within the core values of the profession, avoid the usage of hate speech among others: “W are appealing for the continues respect for the core values of the profession we are practicing and we must avoid issues of Hate Speech, and declarations that injure Women and Girls. These are basic things that Cameroon Journalists Trade Union, CJTU stands for”.

According to Rose Akah Obah, a journalist working with CBS radio in Bamenda, the Press Vests are coming at the right time: “The coming of the Press Vests is timely and encourages some of us who have been afraid to step into the field especially with this crisis where one is afraid of being caught in between the state and non state actors and also the fear of stray bullets. With these Vests on, we will be encouraged to go about our duties without any fear”.

Rose Akah Obah,CBS Radio Bamenda.

Colbert Gwain is a Digital Rights Advocate and radio host. He thanked Bakah Derick for his organizational skills and the fact that, he has grown the Journalist Trade Union to this level and for making sure they have the Press Vests. He says from a distance, somebody will notice them as journalists: “In international Humanitarian Law and during war, there is no particular rule that exempt Journalists from the fire. Even with the Vests we still know that we are exposed to a lot of danger but it important that somebody should see from a distance that, this is a journalist trying to do his or her job”.

To Ngongsong Jean Marie, Resident Correspondent for Deutche Welle Radio in Germany, the coming of the Press Vests will help him access news sources on all sides involved in the armed conflict: “With this Vest, access to news sources and information will be an easy thing to me, with the Press Vest; I should be able to be identified and given access to information both from the side of the State and Non State actors in the armed conflict and feed the audience which I serve”.

Ngongsong Jean Marie,Deutche Welle Radio-Germany.

Worthy of note is the fact that, many journalists in the North West Region of Cameroon are still dragging their feet, still contemplating whether to belong or not but as the president of CJTU said, the Trade Union is only committed to defending her members.

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