NUJ Holds Election July 22 By Monday Akpan

Members of the fourth Estate of the Realm – Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) will from July 22 to 24, 2015 go to the polls to elect a new executive to pilot their affairs for the next three years.

So far four of the Union’s Presidential aspirants have been to the Akwa Ibom State council of the union on consultative campaign. They include Dele Atunbi, Abdulwaheed Odusile, Otunba Mike Ade Akadenika and Rotimi Obamuwagun

Addressing a cross section of journalists at the press centre located along Information Drive off IBB Way, Uyo, the aspirants in their manifestoes separately spoke of plans to carry members along if voted into office.

Such ways they intend to carry members along include ensuring the welfare of members by seeing to it that they are paid their salaries as at and when due. They lamented that their colleagues over the years were working under very hard conditions and promised to reverse the trend mostly by embarking on a housing scheme where the members would be provided with a house to live in as their personal property.

They advised the members to ensure that each member indemnify himself or herself with the union’s life insurance scheme whereby in case of death, One Million Five Hundred Naira (1.5m) is paid to his or her family to ensure a befitting burial and also in case of an accident the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) is paid to the member. One of the aspirants, Comrade Rotimi Obamuwgun said when elected he would make sure the scheme covers every member without any individual contribution.

The aspirants therefore appealed to the members to cooperate and vote for them when the election comes.

Responding, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Elder Patrick Albert thanked them for finding time to come and consult the members in the state and promised that they would be solidly behind them.

Elder Patrick used the opportunity and informed them of the lofty programmes embarked upon by the union in the state. These, according to the chairman include refurbishing of the facilities at the centre, construction of Godswill Akpabio International Press Centre, Information Drive, Off IBB, Avenue, Uyo, which ground breaking had been made and a sum of One Hundred Million Naira (N100m) paid to the council and provision of an ICT centre for the benefit of the members.

He also announced that the council was in a position to encourage both male and female members who wish to enter into wedlock by giving them the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) for the purpose. The Chairman who is also a member of the credential screening committee the aspirants wished them a successful outing as well as success at the polls