The Chairman of Folio Media Group (FMG) and Publisher of Daily Times of Nigeria, Mr. Fidelis Anosike has promised to champion a crusade against unfair treatment of journalists by the society as well poor salaries and other welfare benefits to practitioners of the profession in Nigeria.
Anosike made the pledge over the weekend while reacting to remarks by some journalists on their working conditions at a programme he organised at Treasure Hotel, Abuja, to thank the media for their support before and during the Daily Times Heroes Award which took place last week.
Among top media executives who attended the chat with Anosike are the Director, Political/Parliamentary DAAR Communication, Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi, Deputy Director News of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Mallam Adamu Abdullahi, the Editor, Authority Newspaper, Malachy Uzendu, Northern Operations Bureau Chief of the Nation Newspaper, Yomi Odunuga and Abuja Bureau Chief of Vanguard Newspaper, Emmanuel Ujah as well as many reporters from different media organisations.
Anosike noted that workers in the media industry are treated with impunity and without due regard especially by government agencies at all levels while the society which journalists fight to protect do not show any form of appreciation to them but rather treat them shabbily.
“Talking about impunity against journalists and poor remunerations, the problem is the total lack of well structured platform where issues affecting the media industry and welfare of practitioners are addressed; and this is the angle I am coming in, to seek the solution. I will work to ensure that we create a meeting or that platform where the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Guild of Editors, publishers and other stakeholders in the industry would be meeting to address the and take them to the appropriate authorities.
“There are no reasons why a banker, lawyer or medical doctor should have better working condition than the journalist when in actual fact, it is the media that help to give meaning to most professions through its agenda setting powers,”Anosike said.
While speaking earlier, Agbonsuremi commended Fidelis Anosike for repositioning Daily Times after many years of neglect in the hands of the Federal Government, describing the Daily Times Heroes Award as one of the best organised in the country. He pledged to render support in any way possible to ensure that Daily Times gets to its target destination.
In his own remark, the Editor of the Authority Newspaper, Malachy Uzendu said he was proud that a young man like Anosike could acquire Daily Times when he was barely 34 years of age and was able to drive the brand to its current enviable position, adding that with the calibre of journalists working with the organisation, there was no doubt that Daily Times was headed in the right direction, the same taken by Yomi Odunuga who also called on Anosike not to be afraid of competition in the media industry.
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