Mr Waheed Odusile of the Lagos State council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has been elected as the new National President of the NUJ at the union’s election held last night in Abuja during its 5th triennial delegates’ conference.
Odusile scored 354 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Rotimi Obamuwugan, who scored 333 votes, and four others, namely, Michael Aladenika, Dele Atunbi, U.S.A.Uzaka and Mustafa Lamidi. who ran for the post of President with him.
Odusile, the Managing Editor of The Nation Newspapers, in his victory speech, says his first priority is to ensure employers in the media industry do not owe journalists their monthly salaries again.
Odusile is from the Lagos State council, while Obamuwagun, the outgoing Deputy National President, and Atunbi, contested from the Ondo State council.
Aladenika, Uzaka and Lamidi are from the Edo, Bayelsa and Abuja states’ councils of the union respectively.
The new NUJ President had promised during his electioneering campaign that he would establish an NUJ Radio Station which would create jobs, generate revenue and serve as training ground for members and prospective journalists.
He had also promised to weed out quacks in the profession and ensure that journalists are not treated as civil servants but professionals, if elected.
