The Nigeria Union of Journalists on Friday presented cheques to families of journalists who lost their lives in an auto-crash last month.
Three journalists, Kafayat Odunsi, Adolphus Okonkwo and Tunde Oluwanike, died on August 2 while on an official trip.
The National President of the NUJ, Mohammed Garba, advised journalists to take insurance policies.
Garba said that the policy was necessary because of the hazards of journalism and other unforeseen circumstances.
Garba said the union would enforce insurance policy for journalists through media owners and other stakeholders.
He said: “I need the mandate of NEC.
”I have my proposal and I will present it to make insurance compulsory for all journalists, so that if you want to be a member of the NUJ, you have to subscribe to the insurance policy.
“The issue of insurance is part of what we are going to discuss in our next stakeholders meeting.
”We are going to agitate that media organisations insure their workers.”
Garba said that Okonkwo was the only one among the three dead journalists that took an insurance policy and would get N1.5 million from AIICO Insurance Plc.
He said, however, that the union’s N500,000 support to each of the families of the deceased could not outweigh insurance benefits.
The unionist said that Okonkwo’s family was the third to benefit from the insurance pool.
He said: “The amount to be disbursed is negligent to the number of journalists that have subscribed.
“We appeal to our members to take the policy.
“It is just N6,500 per annum.
“Unfortunately, the two others were not insured and we cannot go beyond our capacity.”
The president said the publicity given to the event was to arouse the conscience of journalists to subscribe to the union’s insurance policy.
Benson Ogunyamolu, AGM-Life, Group Business of AIICO Insurance Plc, and Kunle Omilani, the Managing Director of YOA Insurance Brokers, presented a cheque of N1.5 million to Anthonia Okonkwo.
The NUJ also presented N500,000 each to the families of the deceased members.
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