One of the presidential aspirants, vying for the presidential slot of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Waheed Odusile, yesterday in Awka, during his campaign exercise, vowed to make flushing out of quack journalists in the system as his top priority if elected to serve.

The Managing Editor of The Nation Newspapers, who stormed the state council headquarters with his campaign team arrived the state about 8pm from Umuahia, Abia state where he had earlier visited.

He also visited Imo and Enugu States where he had promised to improve on the administration of the out-going NUJ president, Mohammed Malam Garba.

Addressing the Anambra State council members yesterday night at the Godwin Ezeemo international press centre, Odusile said it was time for NUJ to have its own Radio station as a body.

He said that he would stop the beggarly attitude of the union from individuals, saying that if individuals in the pen profession like Larry Izamoje could do it why won’t NUJ as a group.

According to him, if elected as the president come July 23rd, he would make sure that journalists were trained adequately with certification before being allowed to operate.

“Quacks and fake journalists are those dragging the name of the profession to the mud. The time to get it right was now.

“Once we are able to do this, we would have restored dignity in the industry. What is happening now was not there during the era of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ikoli and others.

“This profession has gone beyond anybody who carries paper and writes well becomes a journalists, we want to bring this field to be like that of the lawyers and not for all comers affairs.”

Odusile further pointed other areas he would work on to include the introduction of a media salary structure for journalists, sanitization of social media, enhanced welfare programme in the profession and defence of press freedom among others.

The Odusile campaign train was led by the NUJ Lagos State Chairman, Mr. Deji Odutoye of ThisDay Newspapers, while other aspirants like Adeleye Ajayi, gunning for the post of Financial Secretary were also in the campaign train.

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