25 Journalists Died in 5 Months

13 May 2012

 President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mallam Garba Mohammed

By Nseobong Okon-Ekong

A grim picture of the state of the media detailing deaths of 25 Nigerian journalists within the first five months of the year was painted yesterday in Lagos by the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mallam Garba Mohammed.

This chilling exposure was made at the May 2012 Congress of the Lagos State Council of the NUJ. 

Giving a breakdown of the causes of the deaths, Mohammed said all the journalists died under the age of 50, which means that they were within an insurable age. He said 19 of the dead journalists died from natural causes while the remaining died either through road accidents or were assassinated.

Explaining why his administration insisted on compulsory insurance policy for every practising journalist from 2013, Mohammed said the union was working with other stakeholders, including the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Guild of Editors and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria to make this proposal a reality.

He said the NUJ has taken the bull by the horn by taking out insurance policy on behalf of some members but he also appealed to holders of the policy to pay premium regularly to ensure that they monies due to them are paid in the case of any eventuality. Lagos State Council of the NUJ is reported to have insured the largest number of 120 journalists. Each insured member is expected to pay an annual premium of N6, 700.

Garba, who was in Lagos in continuation of his re-election campaign around the country, ahead of the NUJ Delegates Conference in Abuja between May 24 and 27, reiterated the necessity for to represent the Journalists Enhancement Bill which was presented by the NUJ and amended by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

He said the bill has taken care of many of the contentious issues affecting the practice of journalism including payment of salaries, training and ombudsman.

Mohammed, who said he was not offering himself for re-election on account of his enviable record of achievement including a robust account of N40 million and the building of a national secretariat promised to do consolidate on his gains if re-elected.

SOURCE: ThisDay, 13 May 2012. http://www.thisdaylive.com/