Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees Thursday gave kudos to practising journalists in Kogi State for staying solidly behind the workers and pensioners over their non payment of salaries and allowances.
Giving the kudos when the state president of the union, Comrade Tade Adeyemi hosted the journalists to a lunch party at the unions Secretariat, he said the workers indeed have realized that the media is the last hope of not only the common but the oppressed man.
While narrating the ordeals of the local government workers some of who he said were being owed up to 30 – 40 months salaries , he said some of their children had to drop out of school due to non payment of salaries while some have to contend with health challenges without hope from anywhere.
Adeyemi said” what baffled us is that the working journalists in the state were solidly behind us, reporting our plights to the outer world and pleading with government to pay our salaries and entitlements without seeking for any gratification
“Infact we are sort of words to thank you people because without you nobody would have fought our cause or even drawn the attention of the authorities to our plights”
The NULGE president however commended the state government for offsetting part of the salaries and urged it to put an end to percentage payment and redeem it’s promises to pay other outstanding salaries.
Comrade Tade Adeyemi, therefore on behalf of the union donated the sum of #100,000 to the state council of NUJ as it’s own contribution in the ongoing renovation of the NUJ Secretariat.
Responding, the NUJ chairman, Comrade Adeiza momoh- Jimoh, thank NULGE and said the union’s reception and donation to NUJ was the first of it’s kind in the state.
He said it was the social responsibility of journalists to fight for the oppressed in the society and reiterates members’ willingness to continue to support NULGE in all it’s activities.