…advocates improved welfare package for the pen professionals

A former Secretary to the Ondo state government and ex-Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the state, Hon Isaacs Kekemeke, has described the media as very powerful and indispensable segment of the society

According to him, members of the fourth estate of the realm deserve better welfare package in this country to enable them deliver on their daily responsibilities to the society.

The Pioneer Board Chairman of National Examination Council (NECO) stated this in his office in Akure while playing host to the new Executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo state Council led by its Chairman, Adetona Aderoboye.

Kekemeke who has been the Union’s official Legal Adviser for decades, expressed displeasure over poor salary and general welfare of Journalists in Nigeria, urging the government to partner NUJ to better the lots of media professionals in Ondo state and the country at large.

He said: “when everybody is sleeping, journalists are finding ways to serve the society, you deserve better welfare package, you deserve good salaries, how much would it cost government and other private employers to give you better welfare?.

“I will continue to be grateful to you, NUJ is a very important organ in the society, you play indispensable roles; our advice is that government and private media owners should do more to improve your status, welfare because you deserve more than you are getting.”

Kekemeke also appealed to the state government to take up the responsibility of assisting NUJ to rebuild its Press Centre in Akure for Journalists to have a better environment to operate in the state.

“I have been supporting any course that is that of the media and the practitioners; when I was the commissioner for works, we ensured the construction of hilly road that links Radio Nigeria Positive FM and NTA stations (both on Ondo road in Akure).

“I did the landscaping and tarred the inner surface of the Press centre here in Akure and many ways I have supported you my friends that I can’t be saying publicly, some of you know.

“On the NUJ secretariat, it is not too much for government to give an ultra modern Secretariat to journalists in this state. Journalists are not partisan in their operations or duties. What does it take the government to reconstruct the NUJ press centre, government should use direct labour to reconstruct the Secretariat to befit the state.

“That is why I feel the government can rebuild the NUJ Secretariat , that your Press Centre needs to be demolished and rebuilt with modern journalism equipment, I believe government can do it, it is being done in other states; for me whatever I can do to see to the overhauling of the Press centre facilities, I will do it,” he said.

“You can make or mar any politician, you have been very good to me,  sometimes when there is a minor disagreement between us, I don’t think of it because you do more good to me and the society than the other side (bad side).

“Since 1992, journalists have been promoting and projecting me to the world as a lawmaker, NECO pioneer Chairman, as Commissioner for Justice and for Works, even as SSG. You people gave me support to turn the fortune of our party APC around in Ondo state.”

Kekemeke enjoined government to focus more on how to tackle poverty and hunger in the country to reduce high rate of crimes in the society.

Earlier, the NUJ Chairman, Adetona Aderoboye had said the visit was to thank Kekemeke for his past support to media organizations and NUJ as the legal Adviser, and solicited his assistance in the task of reconstructing and upgrade facilities at the Press centre in Akure.