The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Comrade Abdulwaheed Odusile has called on members of the National Assembly to support its bill seeking to regulate media practice in Nigeria.
He made this call during a courtesy visit to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, on Monday in Abuja.
Odusile lamented that journalists in Nigeria were poorly treated by their employers, stressing that some were being owed close to 23 months salary arrears, a situation he said causes them to compromise in the course of their duties.
According to him: “Nigeria Labour Laws need to be amended to sanction employers of labour particularly media industry practitioners who would treat journalists as slaves. I recall that South Africa once left a legacy worthy of note when a Nigerian publisher was to set up a South African version of his Newspapers, before you know he started owing those employees the same ways he does back home, but the authority there sent him packing.”
While urging the National Assembly not to legislate on laws under any guise that tends to gag the press in Nigeria, the NUJ President stressed that the Nigerian press has done the best of its bit through freedom of information to contribute to democracy, cautioning that any move to gag the press would spell doom.
“One area I may arise our National Assembly is not to make laws under any guise against freedom of the press because the press partly fought for restoration of democracy in Nigeria against all hazards,” he pointed.
Responding, the Senate President assured the national body of journalists that the National Assembly would fast track the bill to regulate media practice in Nigeria if forwarded to it, noting that NUJ’s move at self regulation of its activities will instil professionalism in the industry.
Saraki however decried the activities of quacks who continue to fester because of what they get while calling on the national body to do all it can to stop them.
“In my own medical profession, quacks cannot last, but in the practice of Journalism, quacks continue to fester because of what they get informally, but you people should do all you can to stop them,” he maintained.
On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 3:03 PM, ‘Samson Atekojo Usman’ via staffposts <staffposts@dailypost.ng> wrote: National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Abdulwaheed Odusule has called on National Assembly to support its bill seeking to regulate media practice in Nigeria.
He made this call while on a.courtesy visit to the Senate President on Monday in Abuja.
Odusule lamented that journalists in Nigeria were poorly treated by their employers stressing that some were being owed close to 23 months, a situation he said makes them to compromise in the course of their duties.
According to him: “Nigeria Labour Laws need to be amended to sanction employers of labour particularly media industry practitioners who would treat journalists as slaves. I recall that South Africa once left a legacy worthy of note when a Nigerian Publisher was to set up a South African version of his Newspapers, before you know he started owing those employees the same ways he does back home, but the authority there sent him packing”. He stated.
He advised the National Assembly not to legislate on laws under any guise that tends to gag the press in Nigeria, noting that Nigeria press has done the best of its bit through freedom of information to contribute to democracy, cautioning that any move to gag the press would spell doom.
“One area I may arise our National Assembly is not to make laws under any guise against freedom of the press because the press partly fought for restoration of democracy in Nigeria against all hazards”, he pointed.
Responding, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki assured the National body of the Union of Journalists that the National Assembly would fast track the bill to regulate media practice in Nigeria if forwarded to it, noting that NUJ’s move at self regulation of its activities will instill professionalism in the industry.
Saraki decries the activity of quacks who continue to fester because of what they get while calling on the National body to do all it can to stop them.
“In my own medical profession, quacks cannot last, but in the practice of Journalism, quacks continue to fester because of what they get informally, but you people should do all you can to stop them”, he maintained.
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