The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to assist media houses and journalists in cushioning the economic effects of COVID-19 to avert retrenchments.
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The union also appealed to management of all media houses in the state not to lay off their staff in the aftermath of the corona virus pandemic.
Mr Ademola Babalola, NUJ Chairman in the state, told newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan that the union was not happy with the alleged planned retrenchment of colleagues across media houses.
“We are not happy with the information we are getting from our colleagues across media houses in the state,” the NUJ chairman said.
Babalola urged the governor to assist the media with stimulus packages to bring succour at this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want the governor to assist media houses through stimulus packages to enable them retain our colleagues.
“This support will also mitigate the challenge of misinformation and misconceptions in the society as well as happenings in the world on Coronavirus,” he said.
The chairman described journalists as frontline workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they deserved some form of palliatives from government and other well meaning Nigerians.
He reminded the governor of his promise to assist journalists in the state during a radio programme in Ibadan recently.
The chairman appealed to media owners not to send journalists packing from their jobs, saying such action would further affect their livelihoods at this pandemic period.
“We pray that this pandemic will be a thing of the past and the economy will be buoyant again,” he said.