Date: 2020-02-19

Mr Chris Isiguzo, the President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has advised the leadership of the Kwara council of the union against working in isolation from other councils and the national body.

Isiguzo gave the advice on Tuesday in Ilorin during a working visit to the state.

He said isolationism could be detrimental to the development of the council and also affect relationship with other councils.

The NUJ president charged the present executive members to ensure team work with members in the state and have respect for leaders. Besides, Isiguzo urged that politics of exclusion must be avoided at all cost.

"For leadership to work, it requires collective responsibility and this should be a team work for all. "You should work with the national body and carry the national body along in your activities and also have respect for your leadership.

"When you work in peace, it is difficult for an outsider to creep in as a lot is achieved in unity," he said. The NUJ president explained that the purpose of the visit was to interact with members to know their challenges.

He said the union was working towards having a Journalism Enhancement Bill to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration into law. "We are collating views of our members for our proposed Journalism Enhancement Bill because we feel there is the need for our members to be privy of what we do.

"We are already working with a team of federal lawmakers to have Journalism Enhancement Bill. "If that is achieved for the profession, the bulk of our problems would have been substantially solved," Isiguzo said. He also urged the State Government to hasten up its negotiations on the minimum wage and start paying as soon as possible.

The NUJ president however enjoinged journalists to keep hope alive and continue to ensure that the government was held accountable. The Vice President, North Central Zone, Mr Wilson Bako, also urged Kwara council to work with other councils in the zone.

"I urge you to play the politics of NUJ in cooperation with other states in the zone. "You have to work with other councils in the zone, because working in isolation could be disastrous. Kwara council has been working in isolation," Bako noted. The Chairman, NUJ Kwara Council, Mr Umar Abdulwahab, thanked the president for the visit.

Abdulwahab said his administration has recorded tremendous achievements in less than two years in office and promised to consolidate on the successes.