Kwara NALVEJ Chair Canvasses Special Salary Scale For Journalists

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

The Chairman of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ), Kwara state chapter, Alhaji Tunde Akanbi, has urged the state government to implement special salary scale for journalists in its employment.

He also asked the government to work out special allowances for all journalists covering COVID-19 programmes in the state as it did for frontline health workers.

Akanbi spoke shortly after the swearing in of the new executives of NALVEJ in Ilorin, the state capital, on Wednesday.

The NALVEJ Chairman, who showered encomiums on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for bringing the state broadcasting corporation (Radio Kwara) back to life, urged the governor to extend similar gesture to the other state-owned media outfits- The Herald newspapers and Kwara Television Service- to enable them compete favourably with their peers in any part of the world.

For veteran journalists, Akanbi urged the state government to tap from their valuable experiences by considering some of them for political appointments.

He promised to prioritise the welfare and wellbeing of all NALVEJ members in the state through a routine medical check up and health talks in partnership with the state’s branch of the Nigeria Medical Association.

In their goodwill messages, the state Commissioner for Communication, Alhaji Murtala Olanrewaju, and the Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Sa’adu Salahu, they highlighted some of the achievements of Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration in the last one year.

Olanrewaju restated the commitment of the governor to rejuvenating The Herald and Kwara Television Service just as he has done for Radio Kwara.

For his part, Salahu assured Kwarans that Governor AbdulRazaq is in government to serve them, adding that ” the governor’s achievements are physical on the ground for people to see.

Earlier, Barr. Ibrahim Akangbe, had administered the oath of office on the new executives of NALVEJ.

An ophthalmologist with state general hospital, Ilorin, Dr Abdullahi Tahoeed also gave a health talk at the event.

The new NALVEJ executives include Alhaji Tunde Akanbi (chairman), Mr Ola- Olu Ajayi (vice chairman), Alhaji Mudasiru Adewuyi (secretary) and
Christy Doyin (assistant secretary).

Others are Mrs Yemi Ademokoya- Agboola (treasurer), Alhaji Sule Sabi (financial secretary), Alhaji Ibrahim Salami (internal auditor) and Alhaji Abdullahi Olesin (publicity secretary).

The immediate past chairman and his vice, Revd Omoyele Akindele and Mr Kayode Adeyipo respectively were elected ex- officio members. Other ex- officio members are Prince Charles Osagie and Mr Niyi Olalere.