Reading my bosom friend, Julius Osahon’s talk on his kidnap saga in an exclusive chat with the Punch this morning was so much revealing.
If you recall the kidnap news that trend around the country on the kidnap of a Bayelsa State based freelance journalist on the Guardian Newspaper stable then you have an insight into how it all began.
We thank God that after all said and done Julius regained his freedom some five days later having gone through harrowing experience all through his incarceration period.
What particularly interested me in his revelations is the part where he said his abductors could not believe it when he said as a freelance journalist he is entitled to nothing.
The Nigeria media space is filled with such ugly narratives where the reporters are made to go through hell by the majority of media organisations owners.
You either get peanuts, nothing as remuneration or you are owed many years for services rendered. Is this not shocking?!
For days now, the Constitution of the NUJ has been my bedmate. I go through it every night before going to sleep and one section that continues to confuse me each time is stated in the objective of the Union in Article 2 (vi) as follows: “To negotiate conditions of service and establish welfare schemes for workers.”
How far has the Union National Executive gone to adhere to the dictates of this section?
Please let all of us reading this treatise contribute constructive criticism to it.
