ABUJA – House of Representatives is contemplating a legislation that would guarantee financial autonomy to federal government owned media organizations to ensure prompt payment of Journalists’ salaries.
Chairman, Adhoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Sani Zorro made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja.
Zorro who was a former President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ was in the presidential villa to pay a solidarity visit to the Special Adviser to President Mohammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity.
He stated that the National Assembly was not happy that members of the Fourth Estate of the Realms were being owned salaries for many months.
“Basically, I came here on a solidarity visit to my colleagues and particularly to the office of the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina who has been a colleague and friend and partner since our days in the Concorde Stable. We also found ourselves at The Sun Newspaper.
“We are very ready to support through legislation the granting of financial independence and autonomy to the federal government on media. This is very important in other to secure them from the abuse that comes their way especially during electoral processes.
“We are also ready to help in professionalizing this and other organisations, defend the welfare of Journalists. A situation where we still encounter non payment of salaries on regular basis or one form of deprivation or another, I can assure you that the House is not ready to tolerate that. And we will support whatever efforts Journalists make from the leadership of the National Assembly and their colleagues to reverse this situation.”
The Journalist turned politician who represents Gumel, Gagarawa, Maigatari and Sule-Tankakar federal constituency of Jigawa State also remarked that the communication policy of Buhari’s administration had changed since the coming of Adesina and Mallam Garba Shehu.
According to him, the defund communication agenda from the villa was “hawkish, warlike and based on threats but that has given way to pure explanatory and believable communication agenda based on persuasion.”
Speaking further, Zorro also urged Nigerians to support the fight against insurgency.
“I want to all Nigerians irrespective of our differences and sentiments to give Mr. President and his government the maximum support. When I call on Nigerians, I am also calling even the disgruntled like the insurgents in the north east otherwise called Boko Haram. It is time for such disgruntled elements that have taken to arms for whatever reasons in the last 6 or 7 years of our national life to see the transparency and commitment of this administration to right all the wrongs of the past and to embrace dialogue.
“This call also extends to the people of the Niger Delta including those who struck recently at a military base. Whatever their grouse, it is time to give peace a chance. He has even demonstrated the kind of justice he wants to mete to that region which has suffered from all sorts of deprivation. And from our interpretation of Mr. President’s effort, no effort is too much for the Niger-Delta”, he said. (Vanguard)
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