NUJ President tasks Police on proactive security measures

[MrVan]

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN – PRESIDENT of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mallam Muhammad Garba, has called on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the county to take proactive measures to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.

Mallam Garba in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, said that the current situation, where Nigerians wake up daily to the sad news of the killing and maiming of unarmed journalists was no longer acceptable.

The NUJ President,  who was in Edo State  to condole with the family of the late Independent Television cameramen, Mr. Chuks Ogu, who was killed by gunmen two weeks ago in the line of duty, regretted that he was not insured.

He said that as part of efforts to ensure that all practicing journalists in the country were insured, NUJ had concluded discussions with Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, to key into the insurance scheme so that all their employees can benefit from it.

He said: "It is about time that practicing journalists take the matter of the union's life insurance policy more seriously because it is the only way they can ensure that loved ones they leave behind do not suffer after their death."

Garba added that the insurance policy was available for a small amount of between N6, 750 and N20, 000 per annum for journalists at state councils nationwide and refuted claims that processing the benefit was a discouraging factor.

He said for those who pay the subscription of N6, 750, the benefit was N1.5million arising from accident or the death of the journalist while for N12, 000 the benefit was N3million. Those who subscribe with N20, 000 will get N5million.

Vanguard Nigeria