The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Waheed Odusile, has described the various ongoing infrastructural projects of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration in Ogun State as the type that will place the state in a class of its own.

Mr. Odusile stated this on Tuesday after a visit to the over 170 hectares Three Hills Residential Estate, Kobape, Abeokuta, being developed by the Amosun administration. He said he was not surprised but highly impressed with the sterling performance of the Ogun State Governor since he assumed office in 2011.

Said Odusile: “This is the first time I will be doing a physical inspection of what Governor Amosun has been doing. I am not surprised but highly impressed with his performance. The Three Hills Estate will be a new city entirely which everybody will be proud of.

“By the time all the on-going projects are fully developed, Ogun will be among the elite states in terms of physical infrastructure. The road projects in border towns constructed by the state government which have also redefined the landscape of the Gateway State are there for all to see.”

The NUJ President spoke of the need for the nation to migrate from a monolithic economy to a diversified one was more urgent than ever, pointing out that agriculture and mining sectors can be better sources of revenue for government.

He also talked about the plan of the NUJ to get the National Assembly to enact a law that will accord the practising journalist a professional status adding that the lawmakers were as well working on empowering the union on how to get rid of quacks.

Mr. Odusile frowned at the non-payment of salaries of media practitioners which has become the order of the day in the country. He described this as wicked and ungodly, disclosing that his leadership of the NUJ has challenged federal lawmakers to make non-payment of salaries an illegal act in Nigeria.

“We are trying our best with the National Assembly to come up with a legislation that will give professional status to our field in the civil service. We are also working on having a law enacted by the National Assembly that will empower us to regulate the practice and get rid of quacks while media outfits that use our men to make money but fail to pay salaries are also put in check by law,” Odusile added.

•Photo shows NUJ President, Waheed Odusile.

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