The Nigeria Union of Journalists has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the lingering issue of the minimum wage for Nigerian workers and the pending crisis with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The union also expressed concerns over the country’s insecurity, high cost of living, and power outages in some states.
According to The PUNCH, the NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, who addressed newsmen, said the Federal Government approved N62,000 minimum wage was not in reality with the present economic situation in Nigeria.
The NEC, according to the President, is calling on the Federal government to urgently address the pending issues with the ASUU. The nation cannot afford ASUU to proceed on another indefinite strike again, noting its effects on the students.”
He warned the security agents and politicians against further attacks on its members nationwide.
Isiguzo said the union would no longer tolerate constant attacks on its members either by security agents or politicians.
The president, therefore, stressed the need for adequate protection for journalists as the nation is warming up for the conduct of the governorship election in Edo and Ondo States, respectively.
The communique reads in part, “NEC frowns at the lingering insecurity across the nation, especially kidnapping and violent crimes in the South East, Insurgency in the North East, Banditry in North West and rising militancy in the South-South as well kidnapping in the South West and cattle rustling and attack on farmlands in the North Central by herders.
“NEC calls on the heads of the nation’s security apparatus to rise to the occasion and address the situation.
“NEC expresses dismay at the increasing cost of living conditions, particularly the prices of essential commodities which are becoming unbearable to Nigerians, and called on the Federal Government to come up with immediate measures to ameliorate the sufferings being faced by Nigerians.
“On this, NEC expressed concerns at the delay in production at the Dangote Refinery, which would have eased the present economic hardship in the country.
“NEC frowns at the incessant vandalization of power installations supplying electricity to some States of the North East and other parts of the country, and therefore calls on the Transmission Company of Nigeria and Ministry of Power to immediately restore electricity supply to the affected states.”
