By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Chairman of Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Adeiza MomohJimoh, on Monday, led Journalists in the state to a colourful match pass at the Muhammadu Buhari Square, Lokoja in celebration of this year’s International Workers Day.
The annual event held worldwide on the first of May is set aside by the United Nations to celebrate Workers’ global struggle for social and economic rights recognized in the international labour movement for social justice.
An excited crowd of Journalists, Labour activists, and media workers across the media organizations in the state, gleefully stirred the emotion of the spectators and panel of Judges who adjudged the Winners of the colourful match pass, as part of the side attractions at the event.
According to the NUJ Chairman, “The significance of the event cannot be over-stated, hence the participation of Journalists in the event as the NUJ is a critical stakeholder in Labour Movement in the state; we advocate and promote social justice for all in all circumstances, and our quest for a living wage for Journalists and other categories of Media Workers in Kogi State and Nigeria at large is sacrosanct to use as an active professional trade union.
“We are quite hopeful that the spirit of this celebration will yield positive results for both the government and organized labour in the state, as we nurse hope for greater Workers’ productivity and welfare in the coming years as we celebrate the immense contribution of the Nigerian Worker to Nation building.”
Restoration of the weighing allowance to the media workers in the state, and provision of 350KVA Generators to the media establishments in the state were part of the union’s collective demands from the state government as presented by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Gabriel Amari, who presented the scorecard of the organized labour in the state.
The NUJ Chairman expressed delight at the completion of the state Labour House and Governments in the project.
Comrade MomohJimoh also commended the state government under Governor Yahaya Bello for the continued support of the organized labour inclusive of the NUJ, whose members, he says delight in the renewed Government-Media relations in the state.
A Cross section of Journalists and other workers interviewed at the event expressed satisfaction with the proceedings of events at the May Day celebration they described as a huge turnout of workers who re-echoed their slogan of solidarity for change as the workers re-affirmed their common stand for a living wage, and for “the union shall stand.”
