Honourable Shina Peller, member of the Huse of Representatives from Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency has advocated for the welfare of the Nigerian journalists whose noble profession contributes immensely to national integration and development.
According to his spokesman, Kola Popoola in a statement, he made this advocacy recently during the commissioning of the newly remodeled and furnished office of the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council at the Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
While delivering his speech as the guest of honour at the event, Hon. Peller acknowledged the influential roles journalists play in the national integration and developmental democracy as well as their unique role of keeping the populace adequately informed and acting as the watchdogs of the government, the governed and the society at large.
In the same vein, the federal legislator urged the government and employers of the media professionals to consider the welfare of journalists as a top priority that must not be toyed with for whatsoever reason.
In his words, “If journalists are well remunerated and adequately catered for, our society will experience more objective, balanced and required investigative news reporting necessary for us to address the societal ills and advance appropriately as a nation.”
In addition, Hon. Peller said, “Today, investigative journalism in the country is diminishing, and this is so because no journalist wants to risk his life when he knows that nothing is guaranteed for him. On this note, I want to say again that the welfare of journalists should be of utmost importance to us all.”
In his welcome address, the NUJ chairman, Oyo State Council, Comrade Adewunmi Faniran, expressed his profound gratitude to Hon. Shina Peller for continuously supporting Oyo State journalists under his leadership and revealed that the federal legislator played a vital role in making the remodeling of the chairman’s office a reality.
Comrade Faniran said, “There is need to appreciate very profoundly the financial and moral supports of my brother and friend, Hon. Shina Peller, he is indeed the pillar upon which this remodeled structure rests upon. From the beginning to the end, he demonstrated the philanthropic gesture he was known for by all and sundry.”
Similarly, the National President of the NUJ, Comrade Chris Iziguoso and Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Orientation, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, who were both present at the event, applauded Hon. Peller for his philanthropic gesture to journalists and urged other individuals in the country to emulate him.
Packaged by Mayowa Owogbade
