The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr. Alhassan Yahya, has appealed to the North East Development Commission, NEDC, to support the health insurance needs of practising journalists in the region, describing journalism as one of the least paid professions in Nigeria.
Mr Yahya said this when the NEDC replaced damaged work tools of Bauchi journalists who were involved in an accident during tours and commissioning of facilities donated by the NEDC.
Mr. Yahya said the health insurance premium of ₦40,000 per journalist would significantly ease the burden faced by journalists and contribute to key national health objectives.
According to him, such support would help reduce maternal mortality, lower out-of-pocket medical expenses and advance the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
He noted that the initiative would align with the cardinal objectives of the present administration, saying that the gesture would ensure the NEDC’s name is “written in gold in the history of Nigeria”.
The NUJ President assured the commission that the union would continue to protect and project its positive image.
Mr. Yahya also expressed appreciation to the NEDC and the Bauchi State Government for their swift intervention following an accident last week in which journalists lost or had their equipment damaged.
He commended the prompt response, describing it as a show of concern for the welfare of media professionals.
Earlier, while presenting replacement equipment to the NUJ President, the Managing Director of the NEDC, Mr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, disclosed that five media organisations were affected by the incident.
They are Channels Television, Bauchi Television (BATV), the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), African Independent Television (AIT) and Arise TV.
Mr Alkali said the Bauchi State Government was currently covering the medical bills of the injured journalists, while the NEDC was also providing an additional ₦5 million to address any contingency that might arise.
He explained that the commission decided to replace all lost or damaged work tools to enable the journalists to continue carrying out their professional duties.
The equipment to be replaced includes five cameras, three Canon and two Sony , each with a tripod, microphone, cables and LED lighting.
In addition, the NEDC boss announced that each of the 13 affected journalists would receive a Samsung Galaxy A56 mobile phone to replace those lost during the accident.
He also presented an official letter of condolence and formally handed over the equipment to the NUJ President for onward delivery to the affected organisations and individuals.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Uba Ahmadu Maigari, who officially presented the equipment to the NUJ President, commended the NEDC for what he described as its proactive response to the needs of the journalists.
Mr. Maigari prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured, urging that they return safely to their professional duties.
He called on the NUJ to continue shining a light on the activities of the NEDC and other government institutions, stressing the need to dispel public misconceptions about their operations.
Mr. Maigari noted that government agencies were sustained by taxpayers’ money and emphasised the importance of accountability and follow-up to ensure that allocated funds are properly utilised for their intended purposes.