The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Katsina State Chapter has joined its fellow journalists in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the organization.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of the Katsina State Chapter, Comrade Tukun Hassan DanAli, he noted that the organization was established in 1955 when the country was struggling for independence from the Europeans which became a stepping stone in securing the country’s independence. He said the organization played a significant role before and after independence, especially during the military rule, in ensuring the establishment of democracy in the country.

The country quotes Tukur DanAli as saying that “the democracy that the country is currently enjoying, which is the longest in history, was achieved because of the role played by the group.

“In the 70s, the kind of harassment, abuse and detention by security forces under the control of the military, history will not forget the journalists who made it to the list like the Editor of News Watch Magazine, Mr Dele Giwa, Dan Ali explained.

“The press organization in Katsina State has always been with the members of the group who lost their lives or were abused in the course of their work, like (Danjuma Muhammad and El Zaharadden Umar), and we will not forget the abuse of power that Malam Mansir Lawal Kaware faced in 2001 who was in charge of the welfare of the members of the group.

The group further stated that history will never forget the contributions made by the state to journalism, such as Malam Wada Maida, Mannir Dan Ali, and others. It also expressed its gratitude and appreciation to the current government for working closely with the group to ensure the development of the state and the country as a whole.