NUJ Presidential Ticket: Why Prince Dele Atunbi is your Best Bet –Head of Strategy Campaign Team

NUJ Presidential Ticket: Why Prince Dele Atunbi is your Best Bet –Head of Strategy Campaign Team

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, North-West, NIGERIA

As the National Convention of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) gets closer, aspirants have continued to engage in consultations and campaigns towards their successful election to fill in the leadership positions come 2018 election scheduled to hold in less than one month.

Prince Dele Atunbi is one of those aspiring for the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ presidential seat.

The Deputy Director NTA (National) was in NUJ Kaduna with his campaign team to acquaint members of his plans if given the stewardship to serve.

The Head of Strategy Campaign Team, Mallam Suleiman Ibrahim Ahmed had described him as a man of the people, a problem solver whose antecedents stand him out among other contestants.

A two term Chairman he was and during this period, NUJ Ondo State was said to have witnessed tremendous change.

Being a man who knows his onions Dele said together with his team they would work towards the betterment of the union. “We would restore its lost glory”. He said.

“I am asking for only one term, 36 months and I assure you that within the 36 months you would be proud of us. We would do everything humanly possible to restore the integrity of NUJ. Let us change the narrative in the best interest of our union and our members.

“In one year Media salary structure is possible. This government is a government of equity. We have slept over our rights over the years. We would ensure that we step up advocacy. We would embark on infrastructural facility development.

Training and retraining is not a privilege but a right to journalists. We would ensure that journalists are given adequate training that would enhance their job.

Journalists would not continue to be orphans. We would not negotiate journalism for anything.

On the issue of International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), which he said was supposed to have become a university by now, he emphasized.

“We would not leave IIJ the way it is.  We would ensure standard. We would look critically at it. IIJ is supposed to be a university by now.

The aspirant said, NUJ is where it is today due to policy somersault and self-interest.

“The NUJ which Muhammed Garba the former NUJ National President who is now Commissioner Information Kano State left for us was a vibrant union. The NUJ he left for us is not the NUJ of today. We cannot afford to be quit the NUJ. He sounded.

As it is often said, the world is a global village and change remains the dynamic with which to reaching greater height. Prince Dele Atunbi said if elected, he would use his wealth of experience to turn around the system as training and welfare of journalists are among his special areas of focus.

The existing gap between the government and the leadership of the union would become a thing of the past because according to him; he is familiar with the music as well as knows where the shoe pinches.

The Council Chairman Comrade Adamu Yusuf earlier in his welcome address had commended the team for making Kaduna their first point of call while he emphasized on the need to work on the issue of quacks if elected president.

“I must commend you and your team because this was what I requested for during our conversation about a month or two ago that if you are going on your campaign, Kaduna should be your first state to visit which you have done. This shows you are a man of your words.

“One more area we really want you to focus on if you eventually become the one at the helms of affairs of the Nigeria Union of Journalists is the issue of quacks. It is very important that we sanitize the profession.

“Though here in Kaduna we are doing everything to get it right as we have set up screening committee of which at the end of the month, they would submit their report. Then, we would know who our members are. Knowing our members would give us the opportunity to know who goes for what training and workshop. He added.

Adamu however had reiterated the council’s commitment towards supporting quality leadership. Kaduna he said comprises correspondents of different media houses.

“I assure you that by God’s willing we would do our best to ensure that credible leaders emerge in the forth-coming election”.

Responding, the aspirant assured members of his commitments towards salvaging the profession. The issue of quacks he promised would be looked into with all seriousness while he called for everybody’s support in his cause.

“I urge you and even beg you to help me to salvage this union.

We lost our glory. We must reinstate our glory. A vote for us is a vote for restoration. He ended.