I ‘ll sponsor Media Welfare Bill in Senate, says Adeola

SENATE Committee on Local Content Chairman Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West) has pledged to sponsor a bill in the Senate for the protection and adequate welfare for journalists in the performance of their constitutional role in nation-building.

He stated this at a media interaction with members of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos Council at Ladi Lawal Press Centre, Ikeja over the weekend to kick-start his re-election campaign for the largest senatorial district.

Adeola, who sponsored 15 bills in the 8th Senate with two of them passed by the National Assembly as constitutional bills, said he is motivated in making this pledge as a result of the fact that most of the major media establishments in Nigeria have their headquarters and origins in his senatorial district with many journalists as his constituents.

“As part of my legislative agenda for the 9th Senate, if elected, I want to double the number of bills that I sponsor for passage by the Senate. I will be working with you, NUJ to sponsor a bill for the welfare of journalists in Nigeria. The bill will address by law the issue of salary of journalists in terms of adequacy and sanctions for non- payment over long periods without any consequences, security for journalists in the course of their duty as well as compulsory insurance.

“The issue of Media Salary Scale for journalists should also be backed by legislative enactment,” the senator stated.

He added that his stint of over 10 years in a media organisation in the finance department gives him an insight into the financial and other challenges facing journalists in Nigeria, s

Adeola stated that in all the areas of functions of a lawmaker at the highest legislative body he has discharged his duties creditably to merit re-election for a second term, adding that in addition to his bill sponsorship and active participation in debate at plenary, three of his motions led to investigative committees pursuant of the oversight function of the parliament.

Chairman of NUJ, Lagos Council Dr. Quasim Akinreti hailed the senator for making it a tradition of kicking off his campaign from the NUJ interaction. Akinreti added that there is need for the senator to do more in the area of welfare of journalists with many journalists as his constituents either as residents or workers in the largest senatorial district in Nigeria.