The Chairman, Dialogue Group in Kaduna state, Alhaji Mahadi Shehu has appealed to corporate organizations, wealthy individuals and government agencies to come to the aid of journalists in order to safeguard and preserve the profession from imminent collapse.

He made the appeal when the new executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Comrade Garba Mohammed paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

He said the situation whereby journalists are not being paid their monthly salaries and allowances is unfortunate, alarming as well as sad for the members of the fourth estate of the realm.

Shehu stressed that the importance of journalism profession in the area of progress and development is so significant that, any nation that toy with it does so at its own peril, adding that, the resolution of the new executive council to train and retrain its members not only in their profession, but entrepreneurship development skills is so fantastic and commendable that all assistance must be given to them in due course.

The ICT Expert then promised to provide two day entrepreneurship development training for member of the Kaduna NUJ that will certainly prepare them towards the up-coming training by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

Earlier in his remark, the NUJ Kaduna chairman, Comrade Garba Muhammad commended Mahadi Shehu for his continuous benevolence in all aspects of life, citing an instance with the recent one in which he came to the rescue of Kaduna state University during a fire outbreak. At last, he donated a fire fighting vehicle worth 7 million naira to the institution.

Muhammad then charged him to continue to support well meaning projects for the good of the society, while soliciting his help in ICT training, working equipments, sporting activities and many other areas.

The NUJ Chair noted that the recent crisis in the media is occasioned by the nonpayment of salaries and allowances to journalists, which he said, makes them open to many unethical practices that could mar profession in the eyes of many people.

He also reminded him of the stance taken by the council to guard against quackery, media blackmail, extortion, intimidation and all other illegal acts that could spoil the name of the profession.

“We have a strong mechanism in place to check all unethical practices that could drag the name of our noble profession into the mud, and we are appealing to you and the general public to come forward and report such attempts by anyone who claims to be a journalist.”

Highlights of the visit are the handing over of a letter for ICT training to the Dialogue Group Chairman, as well as group photograph.

•Photo shows Abdulwaheed Odusile, President, Nigeria Union of Journalists.

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