NUJ tells states governors to pay new minimum wage

• Passes vote of confidence on Isiguzo, Need for Buhari to give credence to state police demand
President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo, has said there are enough funds available to state governors to pay their workers the N30,000 new national minimum wage (NMW )and tasked state governors that cannot pay to quit.

Isiguzo spoke in Umuahia, Abia State, after the two-day NUJ National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that was hosted by the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, pointing out that state governors were part of the long negotiations and discussions that preceded the passage of the law on new NMW.

Isiguzo, who the journalists body’s NEC passed a vote of confidence on his leadership during the meeting, for having performed excellently within his short stay in the saddle, said the executive council has barred state NUJ Councils from entering into conveyance, agreement or deed with the union’s property without the NUJ endorsement with immediate effect.

He also told journalists that NEC urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly constitute his cabinet, urgently give credence to the state police creation as a way of stemming insecurity, as well as addressing killings in Katsina and Zamfara states and put in place proper machinery that could ensure safety on the roads even as it called for reduction of checkpoints along Lagos-Sagamu-Ibadan road.

According to Isiguzo, these were part of the 13 point resolutions the NEC took during its deliberations.

While NEC appreciated the governors of Abia, Edo, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and Borno states for appointing journalists as permanent secretaries and advisers/assistants and governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia for hosting the NEC meeting, it called on parents/guardians in the country to do the needful that would check rising case of suicide among young persons.

For showing remorse over the reason for their suspension from the NUJ, Comrade Isiguzo said that NEC, at the meeting, lifted suspension of two named members of the Abuja Council and lauded Comrade Isiguzo for adding value to professionalism, respect and integrity of journalists and the profession.

On the economy, NEC stated that after considering the recently announced policy thrust of the Central Bank of Nigeria, it endorsed the excellent performance and reappointment of Mr. Godwin Emefiele as governor of the bank and urged him to “keep performing creditably so as to adequately revamp the Nigerian economy.”