Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the Secretary to Osun state Government, has charged media owners in Nigeria to put in place insurance scheme for the practitioners, stating that there is need to protect their lives and safeguard their welfare as well.
According to Adeoti, the call became necessary sue to the numerous hazards being faced by journalists on daily basis in the process of getting their job done – informing, educating and enlightening members of the public.
Adeoti who is the Chairman of the Public Lecture organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Osun state Council, on Tuesday, noted that journalism is the only profession where the welfare of the practitioners is not regulated.
Calling on all media practitioners to team up and restructure profession to meet up with international standard, Adeoti maintained that the introduction of insurance scheme would go a long way in standardizing the profession and as well enhance the productivity of the practitioners.
The SSG noted that journalists in Nigeria had suffered some forms of inhumane treatment from the hands of individuals and governments, expressing his sympathy to all victims of attacks on the Nigerian press.
He said: “Journalists are tools being used by members of other professions to fight their courses, but they cannot fight their own cause. I want to charge all professional journalists in the country to put in place an insurance scheme to safeguard the welfare and lives of the practitioners.
“This call became necessary in view of the numerous hazards you face daily in the process of getting members of the public informed, entertained and enlightened.
“If there is anytime for the professional journalists to come together and fight for their own course of demanding from their employers, an insurance policy that will be in the overall benefit of all, the time is now.”
Packaged by Rahman Salami
