The presidential ambition of Waheed Odusile in next month’s triennial delegates conference of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Sunday got the nod of members of the union in Niger State.
Endorsing Odusile at a congress of the Council, members were unanimous in their verdict of ensuring that the Managing Editor of The Nation Newspaper is returned as the next President of the Union.
Odusile, who took his campaign train to Minna, the Niger State capital, told the congress that he will pursue and deliver a seven-point agenda if elected as the next president of the NUJ.
He said the union under his leadership will ensure an annual conference of Nigerian journalists, where all leaders of the union from chapel to national level will meet to discuss and proffer solutions to challenges facing the profession, the union and the nation.
Odusile also promised to push for specialised salary structure for Journalists in view of the peculiarity and the nature of their profession.
He lamented that if the system gives special salary structure to some profession, journalists should not be exempted.
The presidential hopeful further promised to give training and re-training of members priority attention in order to ensure human capital development and enhance the capacity of practising journalists in the country.
To this end, Odusile said he would ensure the accreditation of the union’s training arm, the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja, with a view to academically and professionally equip members who may have some deficiencies.
He said as part of effort to make the union financially self reliant, a radio station would be set up by the union in Abuja.
The station, he added, will not only help to raise funds for the union, offer employment and be a training ground for prospective journalists, it will also provide a voice for the union.
Odusile, who said he has visited 22 state councils of the union, told the Minna congress that he offered to serve in order to add value to the NUJ.
“We need to uplift the union to the next level and to build on the achievements of the past leaders, that is why we offer to serve this great union,” Odusile told members.
A member of the congress, Malam Abu Hassan, moved the motion for the adoption and endorsement of Odusile as the presidential candidate of the state.
It was seconded by Usman Sirajo.
There was no dissension to the motion.
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