Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Leke Abejide, has donated five standing air conditioners to the FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Abejide, who was the guest speaker at the first-ever Easter Cantata concert organised by the NUJ FCT, said Journalists, as people who report the daily activities of government and society, deserve a better working environment.
He noted that the current Secretariat of the FCT NUJ is not conducive for the work Journalists do as the mirror of society.
“The media is very important to everything we do. Both those in government and the private sector should realise the importance of Journalists.
“Whatever you are doing, if the media is not there to report it, nobody will know—it will be like dancing alone in your room.
“You deserve better facilities. I will donate five air conditioners to the Council, and these will be ready by the end of April,” he said.
Abejide, who represents Yagba West, Yagba East, and Mopamuro Federal Constituency in Kogi State, emphasized the need for Journalists to be at the forefront of driving national unity and cohesion, rather than contributing to societal disintegration.
He commended the present administration for demonstrating capacity in steering the nation towards its rightful place in the comity of nations, and assured that the House of Representatives will support any initiative aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerian Journalists.
Speaking at the event, the National President of the NUJ, Alhassan Yahya, said the Union is working with other stakeholders to present a bill to the National Assembly to ensure improved working conditions for Journalists.
Yahya appealed for the support of Abejide and his colleagues to ensure the quick and smooth passage of the bill, which he said would usher in a new era in the development and practice of journalism in Nigeria.
Chairman of the FCT Council, Grace Ike, described the gesture as a welcome development, noting that the union is in dire need of support.
“If you notice, we have been organising a series of social activities to bring our members together, but the hall can barely accommodate 500 people, while we have over 3,000 NUJ members in the city centre.
“Imagine the crowd on Tuesday—this is the first of its kind. Unfortunately, it hurts those who do not want the progress of the union to see our members united.
“They will not tell you the benefits of unity or social events because it’s against their belief in the ‘divide and rule’ principle, which I frown upon,” she added.
Ike highlighted the benefits of such engagements, including boosting morale and member engagement, strengthening team cohesion, facilitating networking, breaking down hierarchies, and encouraging innovation and openness.
