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The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has called on the Rivers State Government to urgently recruit workers into the civil service and government-owned media organisations, while also addressing flooding, environmental sanitation and border disputes across the state.
The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Union's Congress held on Thursday at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Port Harcourt, under the leadership of the State Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia.
The Congress commended the prevailing peace among political actors in the state and urged all stakeholders to sustain the atmosphere of harmony and decorum in the interest of development.
The Union also applauded the presentation and passage of the Rivers State 2026 Appropriation Bill, describing it as a positive development capable of accelerating growth and improving the welfare of residents through effective implementation.
The Congress further praised Governor Siminalayi Fubara for prioritising workers' welfare, particularly the ongoing promotion exercise across the state civil service, describing the initiative as a morale booster for public servants.
However, the NUJ expressed concern over the dwindling workforce in the state civil service, noting that many workers had retired without replacement. It urged the governor to commence transparent recruitment to prevent the service from suffering a critical manpower shortage.
The Union also decried the acute shortage of personnel in government-owned media organisations, saying the retirement of many staff had created a vacuum that was affecting productivity. It appealed to the state government to urgently recruit qualified professionals into the affected establishments.
The Congress further called for the comprehensive rehabilitation and technological upgrade of state-owned media houses, stressing that obsolete equipment was hindering effective service delivery in an increasingly digital media environment. It also appealed for the renovation of the NUJ Secretariat on Moscow Road and the installation of modern facilities.
On environmental issues, the Congress expressed concern over the increasing accumulation of refuse on road medians across Port Harcourt and urged the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) to intensify waste evacuation efforts to restore the city's Garden City status. It also called for the immediate clearing of drains to mitigate the recurring flash floods experienced during heavy rainfall.
The NUJ equally appealed to the state government to intervene in lingering border disputes to avert communal crises, address the issue of casualisation in the civil service, and approve the movement of qualified civil servants seeking careers in university teaching as part of efforts to bridge the shortage of lecturers in tertiary institutions.
The communiqué was signed by the Chairman of the Communiqué Drafting Committee, Peter Abaje; Secretary, Dean Elliot Kalio; member, Fiito Benson Ajayi; NUJ Rivers State Council Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia-Nsaneh; and the Council Secretary, Dr. Ijeoma Tubosia.
