A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Journalists Support Initiative (JSI), plans to set up a welfare scheme for journalists in the North.
The Secretary of JSI, Ibrahim Mohammed, said this during a courtesy call to Kaduna State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Mohammed said that the welfare of journalists in the country needed to be improved.
”There is a need to put in place a better welfare scheme for journalists in this country.
” To this end, JSI will leave no stone unturned to see that the scheme stand the test of times, ” Mohammed said.
He said that all journalists were qualified to register as a member of the NGO.
“The fate of journalists in Kaduna and the country as a whole is very gloomy especially during difficult times.
“We will be tasking ourselves to raise funds to support our members instead of going cap in hands for financial assistance from members of the society during hard times.
“The scheme is solely to take care of the welfare of journalists. All journalists are free to join. You are all members of JSI.
”As time goes on we will unfold our plan for the partnership with Kaduna NUJ,” Mohammed said.
The JSI chairman presented the sum of N10,000.00 towards the burial of late Chief Dominic Ezeuzu, a member of Kaduna NUJ.
In his response, Chairman of NUJ Kaduna Council, Adamu Yusuf, said that journalists were always at the receiving end in the cause of performing their professional duty.
”Journalists are only being appreciated when still in active service, but once they are out of service, they are forgotten.
“It is a welcome development that JSI is pioneering such a welfare scheme for journalists in the North. We need this NGO to move our profession forward.
”Journalists are not beggars. We must be our brother’s keepers,” he said.
