From Victor Seyi, Ilorin
Nigeria Union of Journalists Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Mustapha Lamidi, has promised to give welfare of journalists a high priority if elected.
Lamidi made the promise on Friday in Ilorin while addressing journalists in Kwara on his campaign tour of the state.
The presidential aspirant, who hinged his campaign on four cardinal points pledged to pursue enhanced salary for working journalists in the country.
Lamidi, who is the current national auditor of NUJ, also promised to ensure job security for journalists by pursuing a recapitalisation agenda for media houses. “If recapitalization can be done in the banking industry, then we can do it in the media houses so that members can be well remunerated,” he said.
He also promised to push for a law that would compel prospective media owners to deposit a minimum of N500 million to ensure job security for members.
Alhaji Lamidi said he would ensure that NUJ no longer beg governments and individuals for money as he would incorporate Consultancy firm to be run as a business arm of the union. This, the presidential candidate said, would guarantee financial autonomy for the union and also generate revenue for it.
Lamidi told the journalists that he was at a time chairman of NUJ Kwara State Council, adding that he was back home to seek their support for his victory.
Director General of his BECA 2015 Campaign Organisation, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, said their campaign theme was “Building Enhanced Capacity for Advancement (BECA).
He said Lamidi as NUJ President would push for professionalism among members. To achieve this, the DG said a Lamidi-led NUJ would aggressively push for the establishment of Journalists Registration Council to register qualified journalists after passing qualifying examinations.
Ogbeche, who is secretary of the FCT council of the NUJ, lamented that it was only
NUJ that did not have a registration council like the medical, law and engineering professions, among others.
He also said that the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) would be made the training arm of the registration council where intending journalists would be made to undergo professional training, notwithstanding their academic qualifications.
The campaign DG said training and re-training of members would not be limited
to Abuja and Lagos alone, but extended to all state councils.
In his remark, NUJ Chairman in Kwara, Abiodun Abdulkareem, expressed
his readiness to work for Lamidi’s victory at the polls.
Abdulkareem promised to lobby other state councils to ensure the success of the
presidential aspirant, describing Lamidi’s candidature as “Kwara NUJ project.”
He also commended the BECA 2015 DG for doing a good job in
selling the candidate to journalists in the country.
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