A top contender for the Nigerian Union of Journalists presidency, Waheed Odusile, yesterday kicked off his nationwide campaign in Edo State with a promise to promote professionalism amongst journalist.
Waheed who addressed journalists in Edo State said he decided to kick off his campaigns in the state because he has been part of the Edo a State Council for many years.
He was accompanied by leadership of the Lagos State Council of the NUJ.
Waheed said his desire to serve as NUJ president was because he has attracted many things to NUJ members.
He noted that his leadership would bring synergy between the Editor’s Guild and the NUJ because he is the first member of the guild to be contesting for NUJ presidency.
He said: “We are tired of leaders that use NUJ to add value to their lives and not to the NUJ. I initiated the Ladi Lawal Media Award which our members are benefitting from.
“We are seeking not for the grandeur because we want to serve. We believe that certain qualities that God has given us would be deployed to serve our members. I want to promote professionalism. All of us know what it takes to be a journalist. If we do not tackle Quakers we don’t know what the profession portends for us. We want to cleanse NUJ of activities of quacks. We want to make sure our members have
“We are professionals like doctors; we offer services. A properly trained journalists is an assets to the profession.
“We deserved to be enumerated as professionals and not as civil servants. We will make sure we get a special media salary structure. There is a proposal that has been on government table for many years. We deserved to be paid in accordance with what we do.”