‘Change Begins With Me’ should start with workers’ salaries, NUJ charges Buhari

As the Nigeria economy bites harder, Nigerian Union of Journalists, has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to start 'Change Begins With Me’ campaign by ensuring that workers’ salaries are promptly paid by employers.

The Vice President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Zone D, Comrade Wilson Bako made the call in Lokoja, Kogi State at the grand finale of 2016 Press Week.

Comrade Bako while commending President Buhari for his dogged fight against corruption reminded the President that Nigerians are suffering with the unending economic recession.

According to the Union Leader, it is saddened that wages of workers are being compromised by government of the day, adding that if the plight of workers are not fully attended to, the ‘Change Begins With Me’ initiated by his administration will be defeated.

Earlier, the Kogi State Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Ali Atabor while speaking on the significance of 2016 Press Week with the theme "The Media, Making Democracy to Work", charged practicing journalists to discharge their duties responsibly by educating and informing the people about government programs and policies with the hope of making the new mantra of the present administration realizable.

As the conscience of the nation and the recognition of the pivotal role they play towards sustaining Nigeria democracy, Comrade Atabor identified issues of ethics, lack of professionalism, absence of effective regulatory body, commercialization of news content and sensationalism as some of the banes militating against media practitioners from playing its democratic role, which according to him deserves urgent attention if they must return the lost glory of journalism.

He lamented on the pathetic state of government owned print and electronic media calling on the government to look into it.

Also speaking, the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Honorable Umar Imam extolled the role of media practitioners in the state especially during their legislative crisis explaining that, it is their duties to protect the nation's democracy from collapse.

The grand finale of the 2016 NUJ Press Week which has in attendance Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, representative of the Commandant Federal Road Safety Corp, civil societies, local government administrators, also saw the unveiling of new direction magazine, and presentations of awards to deserving recipient.

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