Every May 1st, workers in Nigeria converge at the stadium to commemorate this public holiday. It is a recognised holiday which all workers have to observe. This day, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress and their state chairmen counterparts address workers in their respective states of the federation and this has been a tradition for decades.
It is no exception here in Oyo state. However to register our protest against labour movement leadership, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists under Comrade Gbenga Opadotun, had few days ago announced that journalists in the state would not participate in today’s May 1st match past in solidarity with their colleagues who are being owed and more importantly, the sorry state of affairs in Oyo generally where workers are being owed between five to six months salary arrears.
Worst still, some of our seniors who are directors at the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation (BCOS) were unceremoniously disengaged recently by the state government for no just cause other than usual ‘rightsizing, re-engineering and all sorts of grammar’. Aftermath of that development, I recall my yet to be published write up on it entitled “Softly, Softly Governor Ajimobi’ in veil reference to the fact this is one sack too many, especially when the gale of subtle sack or disengagement of workers in the employ of the state government rages. Tongues of discerning minds are wagging as many questions are begging for answers on why the labour leaders have not deem it fit to call workers out on protest till date because mum has been the word -“The man dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyranny.”…Wole Soyinka.
Apparently not willing to be counted among the coward lot, the Chairman, Oyo NUJ, Comrade Opadotun did not only condemn the disengagement especially that of our member, among the sacked BCOS staff, he also went ahead to issue a powerful press statement on it. Just last week he assured that a political solution has been sought to the matter with the belief that the state helmsman as a listening governor, would reinstate the said officer in few days time.
Journalism is a noble profession. It is not a curse to be a journalist. History is replete with how journalists fought individually and collectively to salvage society and to bring dictators to their kneels in and across many nations of the world. Regrettably too, not a few of us have paid the supreme price for being the mirror of the society. For upholding the sanctity of the Nigeria 1999 constitution (section 22) which grants press the freedom to hold government accountable and responsible to the masses, very many of us are seen today as enemies of the same government and their key players we had at one time or the other, elevated to their current status. Freedom of Information Act has not been in full operation to expose the cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society -corruption. The rest as they say is now history. May God listen to our prayers for a better society where journalists’ worth would not be only appreciated but will also be reciprocated with good gestures, all time motivation and deserving of people’s respect at large.
However, the situation we currently find ourselves is so appalling that given the chance for another job opportunity elsewhere, many, if not all, will leave the profession enmasse. Reasons are in the public domain.
And this development is a sad reminder of a country in search of good and quality leadership. As it is in the public service, the situation is not different in the private media. Lack of clear-cut managerial acumen to mismanagement of scarce resources, wickedness and carefree attitude of management to staff welfare are some of the unkindest cut of all -we are our own enemies. We fight for better living wage for the workers in the country and singsong now is N56,000 as minimum wage or nothing yet journalists have no commensurate salary scale. We can only pray and fight collectively that the Special Media Salary Structure being work out by our national leadership under Abdulwaheed Odusile becomes a reality in due course. Presently, it is not yet Uhuru for journalists in this country.
There is therefore the need for all media employers to redress this glaring injustice to the pen pushers who toiled for this democracy being lavishly enjoyed by many of them; their family and cronies. Private media owners too need to buckle up and do the needful by hearken to the call of our leaders after all, a well motivated staff will guarantee better productivity, good reputation for the company and above all, will do the job with special regards for journalism code of ethics or canon of journalism viz truthfulness, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability.
Last line, as practitioners, there is the need for us to think outside the box and diversify to other fields of endeavours in order to be counted as worthy people with secured future. The idea that journalism has no second hand value should be dealt a deadly blow today. Our union leaders too, need to be more proactive and take our welfare more seriously because they should understand one sacred fact that being in office does not confer on them -repository of knowledge; rather they are holding the office in trust for us and leadership comes with responsibilities. We need more than a passing attention to take care of all irrespective of where our interest lies.
Happy workers day celebration to all journalists in Nigerian and I dare say congratulations to the National President, Alhaji Odusile who has just been elected as the President, Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and also Alhaja Fatimah Kareem, Vice Chairperson, FAJ, Women and Gender Issues. May your tenures usher in development and engender greater journalistic exploits for journalists in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
