Isoleto! Isoleto!

My dear respected comrades. I am Comrade Garba Muhammad. A Presidential candidate in the 2024 NUJ election.

I am here to humbly solicit for your precious votes. Why is Garba Muhammad vying for the position of the national president?

I love our great union and all its members. I have therefore come out to reinvigorate the union by changing the narrative for the better.

What will Comrade Garba Muhammad do for the union and its members if elected as the National President ?

Below are my pledges:

*To Uphold The Union’s Constitution:

I shall uphold the constitution of our union. I will ensure that the union’s constitution is followed to the later.

*Quackery & Unaccredited members in practice:

My leadership will train our unaccredited members through the IIJ, to enable them fully gain certification.

*Welfare of members:

The welfare of members of the union will be paramount in my administration, because unionism is mainly about welfare of members.

I supported families and widows of our late colleagues with school fees, food items, medical care and house rents. I am still rendering the aforementioned assistance to those families our colleagues left behind . I intend to provide skill acquisition and empowerment to make them self reliant.

When elected the national president, I will extend this assistance to families of our late colleagues in all the states. I can make that possible through collaboration with organizations and the state governments .

I have earlier facilitated jobs for many of our members across the country. If elected , I will do more.

*Online Journalism:

My leadership will recognize and register them as enshrined by our constitution to be able to regulate them.

*Peace, unity and Security issue :

The unity that used to exist amongst members of the union within the Councils and the national body has been eroded.

Many Councils are divided into factions ,some are in courts mostly as a result of elections.

My leadership will promote conflict resolutions and peace building across all Councils in the country. I shall do the right thing always and with that there will continue to be peace.

*I shall promote accountability, probity, inclusivity, transparency and easy accessibility to the office of the national President.

*Revenue Generation:
My administration will not depend on government for survival, rather we will generate revenue on our own to run the union.

On NUJ vast land , I will build a befitting National Secretariat, NUJ Radio Station ,a Hotel and a Hostel to generate revenue which will be used to run the union and also provide adequate welfare for members and the families of our late colleagues.

*Elevation of Salaries of our members:
A – Those working in public sectors, there is the need to pay living wage to our members in pubic employ. We shall open discussion with all relevant organs , individuals and stakeholders.

B- private Sectors – Grants and bail out funds will be sourced through Agencies that can support payments of staff .

*Training and Re- training of our members:

For 8 years I have facilitated ICT and other training for members through KRPC/NNPC and other Agencies across States. If elected, through my contacts, I will ensure that the training is extended to our members or colleagues in the 36 States and FCT .

*Payment of dues and Issuance of ID cards :
My leadership will ensure dues are collected adequately ,receipt issued on time , percentage will be given to all three tiers of NUJ as stated in the constitution .

I will also ensure that the union Identity Cards are issued to members on time and regularly too.

*Constitution amendments : My administration will look into the constitution to amend the areas that are drawing back the progress of the union.

*My respected colleagues, I am very passionate about our great union. It is a union that many of us will continue to be proud of. I will promote transparency, unity and obedience of the constitution.

This reminds me of a song in Yoruba language that I so much like. It says, ‘ I mo le de, okuku parada. I mo le de oo, okuku parada. That means, light has come, darkness will disappear. My dear wonderful colleagues and delegates, I, Comrade Garba Muhammad is light. I have come to wipe away darkness out of our great union and make it one that we all can be proud of again. All you need do is to give me your very precious votes in the election and you will have course to praise God for your right decision.

God bless Nigeria Union of Journalists and its members.
Isoleto !