The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says the incessant and arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists in their line of duties by security personnel will no longer be condoned.
This demand, amongst several others, is part of resolutions of the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which held its quarterly meeting in Ibadan on Thursday and Saturday.
In a communique listing the resolutions released on Sunday by the union’s national secretary, Achike Chude, the NUJ urged that security personnel stop such actions immediately.
The NUJ president, Chris Isiguzo, presided over the meeting and cautioned politicians to refrain from attacking journalists on essential duties during the upcoming governorship elections in Ondo state and Edo.
The union urged Governor Umaru Fintiri to sign the Media Enhancement Bill, which the Adamawa House of Assembly recently passed, into law.
It frowned upon the lingering state of insecurity across the nation, especially kidnapping and violent crimes in the South-East, insurgency in the North-East, and banditry in the North-West.
“NEC also frowns at rising militancy in the South-South, as well as kidnapping in the South-West and cattle rustling and attack on farmlands in the North-Central by herders,” he stated. “We therefore call on the heads of the nation’s security bodies to rise to the occasion and address the situation.”
The NUJ expressed dismay at the rising cost of living, particularly through increased prices of essential commodities, which are becoming unbearable to Nigerians. Thus, it called on the federal government to devise measures to ameliorate Nigerians’ sufferings.
The union added, “On this, NEC expressed concerns at the delay in production at the Dangote Refinery which would have eased the present economic hardship in the country. NEC frowns at the incessant vandalisation of power installations supplying electricity to some states of the North-East and other parts of the country.
”We, therefore, call on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Ministry of Power to immediately restore electricity supply to the affected states.”
The NUJ further urged federal and state governments to intervene urgently regarding the poor state of the country’s roads. It called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to take measures to ease motorists’ sufferings.
The union called for an urgent consideration from the Federal Government to include the South-East among the zones captured in the coastal highway project.
NUJ stated, ”This is because no zone along the coastal line should be sidelined in the project.”
It equally called on the government to address the perennial flooding affecting most parts of the country.
“NEC requests communities in the flood-prone zones to adhere strictly to the early warnings by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Federal Ministry of Environment to avoid regrets occasioned by flood disaster,” the union said.
The union appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently resolve all the issues surrounding the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
“NEC also appeals to the federal government to address and resolve pending issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the interest of education and Nigerian students,” the union said.
NUJ also resolved to appeal to heads of security agencies to support orphans and widows of deceased security personnel who paid the supreme sacrifice in the line of their duties.
It urged the federal government to take urgent steps to regulate illegal mining activities in the country and avert further disasters. While commending Governor Seyi Makinde for his people-oriented policies and programmes, the group expressed appreciation for the governor’s successful hosting of the NEC meeting.
“The NUJ NEC also urge him to sustain the tempo of development in the state,” the communique stated.
(NAN)
