The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State council, has urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to implement the 22 percent weigh-in allowance as approved by President Goodluck Jonathan for media practitioners in the state-owned media organisations – Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), Ogun State Television (OGTV), State Ministry of Information and the Information arms of the 20 local government councils in the state.
In a communiqué issued by the council at its last congress held at the NUJ Press Centre, Iwe-Irohin House, Abeokuta, at the weekend, jointly signed by the Ogun State NUJ chairman, Wole Shokunbi and the secretary, Soji Amosun, respectively, the council enjoined the state government to toe the line of the Federal Government and other states by paying the said weigh-in allowance for media practitioners.
The communiqué also tasked the governor on the provision of good working atmosphere for the entire media practitioners working in the state, but should particularly give more attention to the welfare of media practitioners in the state employment, just as it required the leadership of NUJ in the state to always ensure that journalists abide by the ethics of the profession.
The communiqué partly reads: “We appeal to the state government to without further delay implement the 22 percent weigh-in allowance for media practitioners in the state-owned media organisations, which include OGBC, OGTV, as well as in the State Information Ministry and the information arms of the 20 local governments of the state as approved and already implemented by the Federal Government and some states in the country.”
The congress in session also congratulated Mohammed Garba, president, NUJ, for his recent election as the President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), tasking him to use the current office to chart new course for journalists all over the African continent, and strive for the betterment of the profession in terms of quality, condition of service, professional ethics and atmosphere of service delivery.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
