- commends governor for hiring 2 late journalists’ widows
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has appealed to Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, to pay the gratuities of retired staff of Owena Press Limited, publishers of the state-owned newspaper, The Hope.
Besides, it urged him to incorporate the staff of the publishing firm into the State Civil Service to enhance its performance as a vital information organ serving the interest principally of the state government and that of the people of the state.
The union made the appeal during the maiden visit of the newly elected chairman of its Ondo State council, Prince Leke Adegbite, to the state government.
Also, the union expressed deep appreciation to the Governor for employing widows of two late journalists, Olubunmi Afuye and Stephen Sotonwa, who were died respectively in an armed robbery attack at Ilara Mokin, and a road crash on Akure-Ondo road. The deceased were both former staff of the state-owned OSRC/Orange FM media group.
Adegbite further asked Akeredolu to appoint qualified senior members of the Union as Permanent Secretaries; create Local Government Information Department; and promote qualified staff of the state Ministry of Information’
According to the NUJ Chairman, the media and information sector are crucial to the “achievement and success of various laudable projects of the state government, hence the need for the present administration to sustain its support to the media industry.”
Commending the governor for acting promptly on a letter of the Union sometimes last year on the need to employ Afuye and Sotonwa’s widows to enable them cater for their children.
His words: “On behalf of our Great union, I want to sincerely express our appreciation to Mr Governor for graciously ordering immediate recruitment of wives of our two late members following a letter I wrote on behalf of our Union when I was the General Secretary.
“We also want thank you Sir as the HoS and the SA to the Governor on Union matters and Special Duties, Mr Dare Aragbaiye, for your efforts in making this a reality. We thank God that the two of them had since assumed duties as civil servants since January this. We will remain grateful to Mr Governor for this compassionate gesture.”
Responding, government, represented by the Head of Service, Pastor Niran Adeyemo, assured that the Akeredolu administration is committed to addressing various challenges facing members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ, in the state as raised by the new leadership of the Union.
On various issues raised by the NUJ, Adeyemo said the state government would look into them and take appropriate actions that would be in the best interest of both sides.
The HOS encouraged NUJ to ensure its members subscribe to the state Contributory Pension Scheme and the Health Insurance Scheme in order to further reduce various challenges facing workforce.
Adeyemo who officially congratulated the new NUJ Executives, enjoined media professionals in the state to continue to support and promote numerous giant strides of the Akeredolu’s administration.
He said the state government is working hard to reposition the civil service, adding that promotion into the Directorate cadre would henceforth be subjected to availability of vacancies.
