- * Council Decry Failure To Redeem Donation Promises To The Union By Gov Sule
- Offers Special Prayers For God's Intervention
By David Okpashi (Nasarawa State Correspondent, in Lafia)
The Nasarawa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has been forced out of it's secretariat due to threat of collapse of the building hosting the union.
The union also decried the inability of the state government to redeem it's N20 million donation promised the council to enable it renovate the collapsed building threatening the union's secretariat.
The council attributed the life threatening situation of the press centre to the government perceived refusal to redeem the pledge of N20 million announced by the state governor, Eng. Abdullahi Sule, during his visit to the NUJ on October 25, 2022.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nasarawa chapter, Comrade Salihu Alkali who spoke during the union's Congress meeting in Lafia on Tuesday, decried the imminent collapse of the state secretariat building along Makurdi road, in Lafia.
Alkali said the roof of the state secretariat building is in its last stage of collapse and called on members to put the interest of the state and country first in their news reportage, as the general elections approaches.
"I have to cry out to well meaning Nigerians to assist us before we become the next victims of building collapse. Governor Abdullah Sule promised to fix the roof which is at it's verge of collapse when he paid us a courtesy visit last year, but since then, all efforts to remind His Excellency has continued to fall on deaf ears.
"We will not use this building again until the roof is fixed to avoid it's collapse on us. I do not want my members to be victims of building collapse in the state. We will announce the venue of our next meeting, but for now, we will continue to seat under the tree for our meetings", Alkali lamented.
While appealing to the state governor to ensure the safety and protection of the NUJ members especially during the forth coming elections, Alkali commended Journalists in the state for their resilience and commitment to developmental journalism practice and also urged them to continue to toe the part of progress in Nasarawa State.
It would be recalled that the NUJ in Nasarawa State also held prayers for God's intervention in the nation's political process and peace, especially in the forthcoming general elections in the country. NNL.