From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of journalists has called on Kogi State government and other public spirited individuals to urgently come to the aid of the Kogi State correspondent of the Vanguard Newspaper who lost five of his family members in an auto crash while his wife is now in a critical condition
The accident occurred on Friday 5th of November, 2021 along kabba– Okene highway when the NUJ Correspondent s’ bus conveying the family members to a wedding ceremony in Benin City had a tyre burst and somersaulted five times killing five people instantly.
Bolu’s wife had internal injuries in the back , neck and chest while her four year old son she was carrying during the accident also had a fatal head injuries
She has been taken to four different hospitals and now needed an urgent surgery to correct her vertebra bones that has rested on her Spinal cord, and to correct further damage to her body before physiotherapy process can take place
Addressing newsmen on Monday the council chairman, Comrade Momoh-Jimoh Adeiza said the victim is now in a critical condition and needs a total of ₦5 million for the surgery and post surgery treatment.
The NUJ boss who expressed sadness that close to two weeks after the incident the Vanguard management has done nothing urged them to emulate The Sun Newspaper management who within 24 hours sent medical bills of its Correspondent who was shot last year during the endSARS protest
In the words of the NUJ boss
“It is on this note that the Union is calling on government and other public spirited individuals to please come to the aid of this distressed family by way of financial assistance.
‘Donations can please be channeled into t this account: Acct Name: Boluwaji Obahopo, Bank Name: UBA, Acct Number: 2034447686
“We want to passionately appeal to the Kogi State government and by extension, Governor Yahaya Bello to please come to aid of this journalist who for over a decade now been reporting the activities of Kogi state.
“The recent unfortunate happenings to journalists in the country have brought to the fore the need for insurance cover for journalists and members of their immediate families.
” The National Assembly should as a matter of urgency, come up with laws that will ensure that journalists get insurance cover that will be able to take care of their families in the event that they suffer permanent disability in the course of their duty.
“Proprietors of media Houses are also called upon to make welfare of their staff top priority through prompt payment of salaries, provision of health insurance and other incentives needed for them to function well. Enough of the pauperization of journalists in this country. We must not be cap in hand begging for alms for any reason.
“The NUJ Kogi State council also wish to join the national Secretariat and other councils to condemn in strongest terms the controversial circumstances surrounding the death of Henry Tordue Salem Vanguard House of Representatives correspondent who went missing for days and was later found dead. It is our hope that the security agencies do more investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding his unfortunate death.” He added