Story By, Elvis Omoregie Benin
A presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NU), Otumba Mike Aladenika has ruled out picketing of media organizations as part of measures to address unpaid workers salaries in the media industry.
He promised to reset the boundaries of ideas between Media owners and workers by initiating a policy framework that would lay the unabated issues to rest if elected.
Aladenika made the remark at a Colloquium titled: “The role of the press in building a new Nigeria” held at Edo State Secretariat of NUJ in Benin City, ahead of the triannial deletes Conference of the union billed for October 2018, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He vowed to abolish “non payment of media workers salaries and irregular sacking and dismissals of Journalists”.
According to him, “people are tired of picketing. The first thing I am going to do is to convey a national Conference”, which would feature resource persons from the world of politics, business and corporate organizations.
“It is not by carrying placards. What is needed is intelligent quotient (IQ) that can drive the process through in order to a set goals”, he said.
The Guest lecturer, Comrade Austin Osakue, argued that “the apparent non performance of the mainstream media that had given way to a social media that is virulent”.
Osakue, executive Director, Foundation for Good Governance and Social Justice, tasked the Media to critically appraise government policies as the watchdog of the society to deepen democracy.
On his part, the Chairman of NUJ Edo State Council, Comrade Roland Osakue, pledged his support to the presidential aspirant and sported evidence of his capacity to deliver on his promises.
“Aladenika, a former Chairman of Edo NUJ, is a candidate to beat”, he said.
The Colloquium was well attended by Journalists across the 11 Chapels of Edo NUJ, and the Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO’s) led by its Coordinator-General Leftist Omobude Agho.