By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar, Katsina Times 

Musa Mohammed Emerges as NORP President, Calls for Social Media Responsibility

The Northern Online Media Reporters and Publishers (NORP), a media organization based in Northern Nigeria, has elected its new national executive members. The election took place on Saturday at Arewa House in Kaduna under the supervision of the union’s Electoral Committee.

In a keenly contested race, Comrade Musa Mohammed from Kaduna State emerged as the Executive National President, securing 287 votes to defeat his opponent, Comrade Lynn Adda, former chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Taraba State, who garnered 138 votes.

For the position of Executive National Secretary, Comrade Femi Adi from Kogi State won with 210 votes, narrowly defeating Comrade Rayyan Al-Hassan, who polled 207 votes. As stipulated in the union’s constitution, the second-place candidates in both contests automatically assume the positions of Deputy National President and National Assistant Secretary, respectively. Consequently, Comrade Lynn Adda will serve as Deputy National President, while Comrade Rayyan Al-Hassan becomes the National Assistant Secretary.

Other officials who emerged unopposed include Comrade Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar as National Financial Secretary, Comrade Abraham Suleman as Assistant National Financial Secretary, and Comrade Abbas Yusha'u as National Treasurer.

Call for Professionalism in Social Media Reporting

In his acceptance speech, Comrade Musa Mohammed urged NORP members across the 19 northern states to leverage social media responsibly to combat fake news and promote good governance.

“Our biggest challenge is the rise of unverified reporting by citizen journalists, where individuals post unconfirmed information online. However, with professional journalists taking the lead, we can ensure credibility and accuracy in news dissemination,” he stated.

He emphasized the importance of ethical journalism, pledging to foster unity and progress within the union during his three-year tenure.

Comrade Mohammed also expressed gratitude to members who participated in the election and wished them a safe journey back to their respective destinations.