Challenges Before The New NUJ Exco

NUJ President, Mr Abdul Wahib Odusile

The history of journal
ism in Nigeria cannot be told completely without the mention of certain persons as the founding fathers of Nigerian journalism. Such names as Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Herbert Macauley, Alhaji Tafawa Belewa, Earnest Ikoli, Bisi Onabanjo amongst others readily come to mind. These gurus pioneered the role of journalists in the struggle for national growth, development and self-rule under the colonial administration.
The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the umbrella-body for all practicing journalists in Nigeria was then hatched in Central Lagos on Tuesday, March 15, 1955. The body was, however, not born with silver spoon in its mouth, but its founding will forever remain evergreen. Its founding secretary, Chief Olu Oyesanya and the Pioneer President, Mobolaji Odunnewu respectively will always be remembered for the zeal and ideology of the foremost journalists Nigeria ever produced.
In 2005, the NUJ held what it tagged the “Reform Conference” at Ilorin, Kwara State capital with the theme: “Repositioning Journalism Practice.” Optimistically, the union has since inception produced various leadership, so it now becomes necessary to point out that if the NUJ must continue to be relevant to the fast-growing development in the pen profession, there is increasing need to reposition the journalism practice in this country.
This is why President Muhammadu Buhari in his congratulatory message to the new executive of the NUJ led by Abdulwaheed Odusile charged the newly elected officers to reposition and revitalise the journalism profession in Nigeria for present and future challenges, including the revolutionary impact of new technologies on communications and information dissemination.
President Buhari in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina assured the new NUJ President and all journalists in Nigeria that his administration would consistently uphold their right to perform their constitutionally assigned role in society without hindrance.
“I look forward to working in a harmonious partnership with Odusile, the new NUJ executive and media practitioners in Nigeria as the Federal Government strives to end the scourge of Boko Haram, improve national security, rebuild and expand national infrastructure, accelerate the pace of economic development across the country and create more employment opportunities for Nigerian youths,” the statement said, and assured of federal government’s fullest support and cooperation for the NUJ.
In a similar message, Rivers State Governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike while congratulating the NUJ new executive, noted that journalism was the bastion of democracy. He advised  the NUJ president, Abdulwaheed Odusile to ensure professionalism, admitting that it was the responsibility of journalists to report events, unearth and expose the ills in the society professionally and with a high sense of responsibility.
Governor Wike enjoined journalists to always cross-check their facts before going to press, considering their inherent ability to save or destroy a nation and charged the newly elected officers not to betray the confidence reposed in them.
In the same vein, Kwara State Governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed urged the new NUJ president, Odusile to make the welfare of journalists his priority. The governor advised him to evolve a mechanism to ensure adequate remuneration for media practitioners in the country, observing that the role of journalists in national growth and development was critical and media practitioners should not be poorly paid.
“Just as it is done with other professions, journalism is too central for national growth and development to be left without adequate but commensurate remuneration,” the governor said.
He urged journalists to adhere strictly to the ethics of the profession and called on Odusile and members of his team to also be magnanimous in victory to create better enabling environment for journalists working in Kwara State.
Speaking at the delegates conference of the NUJ recently, Senate President Bukola Saraki called for an increase in the wages of media practitioners in Nigeria, stressing the need to adequately remunerate them.
As the official and constitutional watch-dogs of the government and the society the journalism practice in the country is fully professional. Judging from the utterances or feelings expressed by these highly placed personalities, it is best to say that they are a timely intervention if the present NUJ leadership is prepared to chart a new course for the members and the union to forge ahead. There must be the opening of a new chapter harnessing the achievements of the forefathers of Nigerian journalism.
The new national officers must show concern about various issues affecting members and most unique is that aspect of adequate remuneration and insurance scheme for practicing journalists. The union should be repositioned to provide decentralized social and educational programmes. The way and manner previous leaderships of the union handled its activities made it difficult for many members to benefit. Some members do not access those things meant for them as check-off dues paying members and genuine practitioners.
They must leave up to their responsibility in providing protection for members and restoring their rights as well as encourage those acclaimed by the society as seasoned journalists and who are ready to contribute their wealth of experience to making the profession a better choice of career. With the present level of professionalism in Nigerian journalism, Nigerian journalists have become a beacon of hope for all. This era marks a water-shed in the attempts to reposition journalism practice to where it really belongs and to chart an acceptable and enduring guide for the future journalists in Nigeria. To assert the seriousness of the new NUJ executive, the National Secretariat should be instructed to commence the process of identifying and empowering real journalists practicing in Nigeria.
It is also important to use this medium to call on the new executive to compel the authorities of the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) and the University of Maiduguri to release Certificates of their graduates for upwards of (10) ten years ago. The situation where the National Identification Cards (ID) for the members are renewed twice or made to expire within 6 months or one year interval should be reviewed.
Like in other spheres of profession today, corruption is a great scourge affecting journalism. This is because the worst handicap to controlling the canker-worm is the fact that it has been institutionalised and constitutes the source of sustenance for practitioners who are not adequately paid. It is expected that the NUJ new executive will take care of these inadequacies affecting the union and members. On the whole, they should endeavour to make a landmark in the history of the union and make their tenure a mark of an important part of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

Shedie Okpara