The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)

  • Oparadike: Osinbajo pays tribute, condoles with family

    Oparadike: Osinbajo pays tribute, condoles with family

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has condoled with the Oparadike family, the government and people of Imo on the death of Chief Innocent Oparadike.

    Mr Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President (Office of the Vice-President) said this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday.

    He said that Osinbajo also commiserated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on the demise of their colleague.

    The acting president described Oparadike “one of Nigeria’s brightest journalists and thinkers’’.

    Osinbajo noted that Oparadike, who had a very distinguished career as a journalist and administrator, would be long remembered by his colleagues and admirers for his “profound decency, boldness and uprightness’’.

    In 2014, Gov Okorocha presented a souvenir to Chief Innocent Oparadike during the NMMA conference in Owerri.
    In 2014, Gov Okorocha presented a souvenir to Chief Innocent Oparadike during the NMMA conference in Owerri.

    He saluted Oparadike’s sterling leadership qualities, dedication and brilliance during very challenging times in the nation’s history, particularly as the Editor of the Federal Government-owned New Nigerian Newspaper and later, Managing Director, Daily Times.

     

    He urged the associates of the deceased in the media and the Anglican Communion, where he served dutifully as Knight of Saint Christopher, to honour his memory by upholding the virtues of hard work, discipline, philanthropy and justice to which Oparadike devoted his life until his death.

    Acting President Osinbajo prayed that the Lord would grant Oparadike’s family the fortitude to bear the loss and comfort all who mourned him.

    NUJ
    NUJ

    The late Chief Oparadike, Mpidike Mbaitolu, was also a former Commissioner for Information and Culture in Imo.

    The renowned journalist and newspaper manager has been described as one of the earliest Mass Communication students to graduate with a First Class degree from the University of Nigeria, died in Lagos on Monday.

    He also obtained M.Sc degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.

  • Army recovers 300 cattle from rustlers in Zamfara

    Army recovers 300 cattle from rustlers in Zamfara

    The Nigerian Army has recovered about 300 cattle from rustlers in various parts of Zamfara, Brig.-Gen. Ginikanwa Nwosu, Commander, 1 Brigade, Sokoto, has said.

    Nwosu spoke on Tuesday in Sokoto, when he addressed newsmen at the Nigeria Union of Journalists( NUJ), Press Centre.

    He said:” The recovery was part of the myriad of successes recorded by the military in the fight against cattle rustling, kidnappings and other forms of armed banditry.

    ” We are going to hand over the recovered cattle to the officials of the Zamfara Government for onward delivery to their owners.

    ”We are recovering an average of 500 cattle from the rustlers weekly and we will sustain the tempo.”

    Nwosu announced that the military recently deployed more troops to various parts of Zamfara to reinforce the fight against cattle rustling, kidnappings and armed banditry.

    ” Though there are some isolated cases of cattle rustling and kidnappings for ransom, the ugly situation will soon be history.

    ” We are doing all we could to combat the menace and very soon the situation there will be pacified.”

    Nwosu pledged to “sustain the current tempo of cordial relations between the military and the journalists, as well as the civilian population.

    ” Soldiers have been warned against molesting civilians and there are laid down procedures to address areas of friction.”

    The State NUJ Chairman, Isa Shuni, had earlier commended Nwosu for the visit, describing it as the first by any Commander of the Brigade.

    Shuni further hailed Nwosu’s recent ban on the sale of illicit drugs in some shops at the  Giginya Barracks, Sokoto.

    ” We will continue to discharge our constitutional duties objectively and diligently,” Shuni, promised.

  • Edo NUJ condemns mass sack in AIT

    Edo NUJ condemns mass sack in AIT

    The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the sack of 14 members of staff of Daar Communications Plc, owners of African Independent Television Authority and Raypower.

    The workers attached to the Benin centre were reportedly sacked on Monday.

    The management had in a letter dated June 2 and signed by the Senior Manager in charge of Human Resources, Mr. Victor Okasoga, also advised the affected staff to surrender “company properties” in their possession.

    “Failure to surrender company properties in your possession may delay the processing of your entitlements,” it added.

    But the State Chairman of the union, Rowland Osakwe, said that the media outfit erred by sacking its workers without fulfilling its financial obligation.

    Osakwe said, “It is not a good thing that you enslave labour and, at month end, you don’t give them their stipend; you are sacking them and not giving them their cheques.

    “The act is condemnable; it does not even happen in the animal kingdom these days. We are not going to relent. We will write them a letter and ask the management to pay them (affected workers) their money or we will take a legal step.”

    When contacted, the Benin Head of Administration, Daar Communications Plc, Ndah Muhammed, said that the decision to lay off the workers was taken by the management at the head office of the company.

    “Please, get in contact with our Head Office. The sacking was not from Benin here; it was from Head Office,” he added.

    One of the affected workers, who pleaded anonymity, said that the decision of the company came as a surprise, as both staff and management had met over the payment of their outstanding salaries.

    The staff said, “About three weeks ago, the staff of Daar Communications (Plc) met with the management reminding it of its promise to pay us. They said that we should not worry, that the state government was owing them and that when they (government) pays, they will pay us our money. We agreed.

    The worker added, “Last two weeks, they called us in a meeting. After talking, they said that anybody who is sick and tire should quietly resign and go home; nobody uttered.

    “To our greatest surprise, yesterday, we saw about five Hilux vans of mobile police in our premises. They called us to the accounts section to collect our letters. They gave us a form to fill to pay us our money; we have filled the form but money has not been paid to us.”