The Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has appealed to the state government to review the issues surrounding the redeployment of some editorial staff of the three state-owned media houses to the parent Ministry of Communications.
The union noted that the decision would stretch and exert pressure on the remainder of employees in the affected media outfits such as Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara, Ilorin), Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation (The Herald Newspapers) and Kwara State Television Authority (Kwara TV).
The state Chairman of NUJ, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, said this in a statement issued and made available to Journalists in Ilorin.
It explained that it is within the prerogative of the state government to determine when and where its employees would be useful and deploy their skills set but passionately appealed to the government to reconsider its stance on the redeployment.
The NUJ applauded the state government for its continued intervention on the plights of the state-owned media houses.
The union recalled that the state government, upon assumption of office in May 29, 2019, swiftly set machinery in motion for the revival of the media outfits, which hitherto were comatose.
“Our council is not oblivious of the various forms of support the present administration has given to the state-owned media houses in a way that has guaranteed their survival and continuous existence in the dynamic media landscape.
“As a union, we acknowledge that it is the prerogative of the state government to employ and deploy staff, at will, to wherever it believes their skills set would be required.
“But our belief, as a union that is committed to the welfare and well-being of our members, is that the current situation (redeployment) would stretch and exert pressure on the remainder of staff in the media houses in the discharge of their duties.
“It is, however, our passionate appeal that the redeployment in the state-owned media outfits be reviewed while the affected staff be returned to their respective media houses”, the state NUJ said.
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