BY: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
Former Senate Leader in the 7th Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN, has charged the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to take the issue of welfare of its members very serious.
Ndoma-Egba, former chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a chieftain of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), stated this when the leadership of the NUJ, Cross River Council, paid a courtesy call on him in Calabar.
He said the call was necessitated in a bid to ensure journalists carry out their duty professionally.
Ndoma-Egba who is a Patron of the NUJ in the state, expressed worry over activities of unregulated social media platforms in the country, stressing that there was need for the union to prioritise welfare of its members whether dead or alive..
He also commended the state leadership on it plans to reinvent the union in Cross River.
According to him, “Don’t just reinvent the union but we need to see to the welfare of the members whether dead or alive”.
“Because death is inevitable; we need to take care of those left behind by members of the union; we can’t question God over the death of loved ones or member.”
He promised to reestablish his relationship with the Union as a Patron and advised the members to equip themselves in order to meet up with modern trends in the profession.
His words, “Changes in the practice is fast becoming something else with modern gadgets, you must also reestablish yourself to continue to be relevant in the profession.”
“There is need for the practicing journalists to be abreast with the modern trend in the profession. There is need for members to be ICT complaint,” he added.
He expressed fear over the unregulated activities of various social media platforms in the country, “noting that it may pose a big challenge in the country in time to come if left unregulated.”
While congratulating the new executive of the NUJ in Cross River, he admonished them to brace up for the task of effecting positive changes in the affairs of state chapter of the Union.
Earlier, Mr Nsa Gill, Chairman of the State Council, had expressed the readiness of the Council to re-establish contact with its patrons and also enhance welfare of its members.
