Veterans Charge Local Government Information Officers in Nigeria to be United
By Adeoye Adegbohungbe
A veteran broadcast journalist, Comrade Lanre Fadaunsi has admonished Local Government lnformation Officers across the country to exploit social media positively to inform ,educate and entertains the populace since they have access to news at the grassroots.
While speaking at the meeting of States’ delegates of Local Government Information Officers in Nigeria, Comrade Lanre Fadahunsi, a retired Director of lnformation, who is now a popular media analyst gave this admonition while speaking at the meeting of States’ delegates of Local Government lnformation Officers in Nigeria held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital yesterday.
The media guru who identified the intimidating numerical strength of the Local Government Information Chapels of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) across the country as the hidden factor that led to the delisting of members of the pen profession in the Local Government Service from the industrial and professional union. However, he urged information officers not to be downcast but to use their numerical strength and acquired capital to their advantage by forming another professional body that would compete favourably with the NUJ and be an envy of all.
Also speaking at the meeting, Alhaji Adebisi Popoola, a retired Coordinating Director of Osun State Ministry of lnformation and Civic Orientation said the rebellion against Local Government started in Osun over the years and came to a climax at the NUJ constitutional delegates conference held in Kano January this year.
Recalled that the leadership of the union delisted media practitioners in the Local Governments , National Orientation Agency (NOA) and part of State Information Chapel from the union recently in Kano.
He further enjoined local government information officers to brace up for the challenge and chart a new course.
In his own submission, Comrade Adetona Aderoboye, the immediate past Chairman of Ondo State Council of the NUJ, who is presently a Head of Local Government Administration in Ondo state assured that there is no going back having put hands on the ploughs until a formidable union is formed.
He appreciated Osun state for hosting the maiden physical meeting.
‘Posterity would never forgive us as leaders if we fail to salvage the situation leave a great and lasting legacy for the people coming behind us’ he added.
Speaking earlier, the immediate past Secretary of Osun State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Bukola Elufadejin, who disclosed that the Chris lsiguzo led NUJ hinged the delisting of Local governments from the union on non-payment of dues to NUJ but Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees but astounding numbers of qualifies journalists in Local Government could not agree to this unsubstantiated allegation as our case is not different to other professional bodies such as NBA.
He vowed that Local Government extraction would never return to the union under any guise and would not be deterred in its resolve to come up with a vibrant and functional professional body of its own.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman, Osun Local Government Chapel, Comrade (Dr.) Adedapo Owolabi had stated that ‘the unpalatable treatment meted out to our members in the scheme of things over the years were a pointer to the fact that we were no longer wanted in the Nigeria Union of Journalists
Comrade Owolabi thus stressed the need for the delegates present at the meeting to encourage and motivate members in various states to key in into this vision.
The meeting was well attended by local Government Information officers ac
ross the nation.
