President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhassan Yahaya, has appealed to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to sign a bill before him raising the pay and retirement age of journalists working in media organisations owned by the state government.
Against the maximum 60 years or 35 years of service currently allowed for retirement, the NUJ the bill in view seeks 65 years of age or 40 years in service.
The bill also provides for improved pay and other conditions of service for all journalists on the payroll of the state.
The bill which was passed by the state House of Assembly in April 2022 has remained on Governor Fintiri’s table unsigned; and the governor has on a number of occasions complained about the bill being too liberal to the aged at the detriment of younger people seeking to enter the media industry.
Speaking in Yola on Friday, however, the NUJ President urged Governor Fintiri to sign the bill for the many benefits that the bill provides for.
The NUJ President who was in Yola at the head of the NUJ National Working Committee for a two-day North East Zonal Meeting and Investiture of the Governor as patron and recipient of NUJ @70 Award of Excellence, said the governor would be doing journalists under his employment a world of good by signing the media improvement bill.