Lagos NUJ Charges Govt. On unemployment, high cost of transportation

The Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ has called on governments at all levels to raise the bar ogoverynance in the country.

The journalists at a Congress commended the judiciary for its position on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), that the commission has no power to impose sanctions on broadcast stations.

The union noted that it was disturbing that the transport fare in Lagos State was being increased frequently with impunity by National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), without considering the plight of the people.

The congress observed that the residents of the state paid more than N2,000 from Badagry to the Lagos Mainland.

It called on the state ministry of transport to address the issue urgently.

The NUJ condemned the way employment is being handled in ministries and government agencies, saying that employment should be transparently done.

It advised the Federal Government to address the massive unemployment problem in the country.

The journalists also noted that some pensioners had not been paid for more than five years and urged the incoming government to look into this.

It recommended that salaries of workers still in service and pension should be paid at the same time to reduce the suffering of retirees.

On the unity of Nigeria, the congress said that the incoming government should find it expedient to unite the country which has been fragmented by religion, ethnicity and other issues.

The union urged tha government to provide fund for universities and other institutions for research.

The congress observed that it had become difficult to obtain pre-paid meters, noting that people were made to pay over N100,000 before they could get meters..

It said that government should make electricity prepaid meters available at affordable price to the less- privileged or lower class in the country.

The Congress stressed that the incoming government should address the rate of inflation ravaging the economy of the country, lamenting that Naira/Dollar exchange rate was posing serious problem to the economy.

In addition, the congress said that government should address the issue of insecurity.

It therefore, advised the incoming government to work on the state of security in the country.

The Union said that without adequate security, the country would go nowhere.

State of the union

The congress noted that journalists were no longer free to discharge their duties as it should be under this democratic dispensation.

For instance, in the last election, it said that some journalists were attacked and no compensation was paid to them.

The congress, therefore, said that journalists should not be hindered to perform their duties.

Also, the congress observed that some journalists when they get appointments with the government, closed their doors against their colleagues, saying that NUJ should look into this with a close study.

Communique drifting Committee.

Bayo Akomolafe
Abraham Akpabio
Millicent Ifeayinchukwu