Date: 2015-07-27

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki yesterday called for a comprehensive insurance cover and enhanced salary for journalists to meet the exigencies of the economic situation in the country. Saraki made the remarks when he chaired the opening session of the 5th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja. He said recent events in national, cross-border and global polity have undoubtedly put a lot of emphasis on the safety, sustainability, value, rights and moral standing of an average journalist. Represented by Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central, Saraki noted that journalists put themselves through difficult, often uncharted channels to ensure that democracy has its highest expression. "It is thus incumbent on us, the custodians of this democracy, to bring to the fore viewpoints that will enhance the productivity and efforts of these professionals," the Senate president stated. "That is why I associate myself with the call for journalists to be provided insurance cover by their employers; be it government or private. I also want to canvass enhanced salaries for the professionals," he added. "However, this demands that journalists through their associations should strictly enforce adherence to professionalism and code of ethics of their profession. There must also be penalty for those who violate the ethics or behave in a manner unbecoming of a professional," Saraki said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Sanni Onogu. Earlier, the outgoing NUJ National President, Malam Mohammed Garba, said he was leaving behind a more peaceful union having helped to restore normalcy to troubled state chapters.