By Kanu Samuel
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, has called on the Ondo State Government to immediately implement the newly enacted law incorporating Owena Press, publisher of The Hope newspaper, while urging authorities to accelerate ongoing road projects, improve waste management and strengthen security across the state.
The resolutions formed part of a communiqué issued at the end of the union’s monthly congress held at the NUJ Press Centre, Alagbaka, Akure, and presided over by the State Chairman, Prince Leke Adegbite.
The congress commended Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa and the Ondo State House of Assembly for the timely passage of the law incorporating Owena Press, describing it as a response to the union’s longstanding agitation.
However, it urged the Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku and the Head of Service, Segun Odusanya, to ensure the immediate implementation of the legislation to enable the Ondo State Government Printing and Publishing Corporation to achieve its intended objectives.
The union also applauded the Aiyedatiwa administration for commencing construction of the flyover on Oba Adesida Road in Akure, describing the project as a major infrastructural milestone. It appealed to the government and the contractor to complete the project within schedule.
To ease traffic during construction, the NUJ urged the government to eliminate indiscriminate parking along Arakale Road, particularly by commercial tricycle and motorcycle operators, to ensure the free flow of traffic. It also called for faster completion of other road projects across the state.
The congress expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the Akure-Owo-Benin dual carriageway, especially along the Akure-Ogbese axis. It urged the contractor to maintain smooth vehicular movement by completing one carriageway before commencing work on the second and avoiding the removal of existing tarred sections without adequate alternatives.
On public safety, the union decried the increasing number of road accidents caused by motorists who disregard traffic lights within Akure metropolis. It called on the Ministry of Transport and relevant law enforcement agencies to enforce compliance and sanction offenders.
The journalists also raised concerns over what they described as the growing influx of unfamiliar able-bodied men and women posing as beggars or mentally ill persons in Akure and other parts of the state.
They urged the government and security agencies to intensify surveillance, warning that the development could pose a security risk.
The congress further lamented the deteriorating waste management system across Ondo State, noting that several parts of Akure were gradually becoming refuse dumps. It called for the provision of additional waste disposal equipment, operational vehicles and recruitment of more personnel to improve sanitation.
Beyond state issues, the union urged the Federal Government to address manpower shortages in federal media organisations, particularly the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON), stressing that adequate staffing and funding were essential for effective public service broadcasting.
The congress also commended the national leadership of the NUJ, led by President Alhassan Yahya, for organising a National Security Summit in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), and called for the implementation of the summit’s recommendations to tackle insecurity across the country.
In another resolution, members unanimously authorised the state leadership to name the largest hall at the NUJ Press Centre after the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Wisdom Olawande, in recognition of his contributions to upgrading facilities at the council’s secretariat.
The congress also praised the peaceful conduct of the Ondo South Senatorial by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders, congratulating Senator Adedayo Faduyile on his victory and assumption of office.
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