Ensure regular payment of salaries to journalists NUJ President, ODUSILE tells Editors

NEDU MARK YENAGOA
The National President, Nigeria Union Journalists NUJ, Mr. Waheed Odusile on Thursday called on the leadership of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGF) and media managers in the country to ensure the regular payment of salaries of journalists employed in their companies.

Odusile also called on NGF to ensure the total eradication of quacks practicing in the media industry, noting that quackery was a major challenge in the industry.
The NUJ President spoke in Yenagoa during the official opening of the 11th Annual Conference, ANEC, of the NGF holding in the state capital with the theme: “Nigeria the change we need: Role of the Editor.”
According to Odusile, ” as NGF we implore you to assist to pay the salaries of reporters under your establishments”
The NUJ President also lamented the non professional role of some social media practitioners, who he said are non professionals without required skills to practice as journalists.
Odusile therefore called for legislation to check the acts of quacks and untrained social media practitioners. stressing that “this class of persons are the ones disgracing this noble profession.”
Speaking at the event, Acting President NGF, Mallam Garuba Shehu Mohammed said that the conference is to x-ray “the nature, character and content of the change Nigerians expect to see happening as the new government unfolds its plan for the next four years.”
Mallam Mohammed said that there are expectations of Nigerians at the individual and collective levels. For instance, he said ” we all want to see qualitative improvements in our lives: better wages for workers, jobs for the unemployed, better and affordable healthcare services for every citizen, functional education for every child, and, of, course, the freedom to live our lives without restrictions except those imposed on us by the laws of the land and our own judgements. also called on Buhari to fight corruption in the country and give the citizens a sense of belonging.
Also, he said, ” We want a country that is free from threats whether internal or external; we want to see convincing performance from from our armed forces and corresponding security agencies that they are up to the task of protecting the country at all times.”
He concluded by saying that while Nigerians expect changes, they should also be ready to make sacrifices: ” while we expect positive changes to happen to us and to our country, we must also brace ourselves for the sacrifices we might be expected to make.”