The Young Citizens of Nigeria (YCN) has asked Imo State government to
\nreexamine the basis for the indefinite suspension of journalist, Vivian
\nOttih.<\/p>\n
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Director of
\nMedia and Publicity, Augustine Nwaobi which was signed by Chairman,
\nComrade Ekene Okonkwo.<\/p>\n
In the statement, YCN advised the administration of Governor\u00a0 Hope
\nOdidika Uzodinma to thread cautiously on issues of public importance,
\nadding that the suspension of the chairperson of Nigeria Association of
\nWomen Journalists (NAWOJ) over the request for the payment of three
\nmonths salary is totally bad for the image of the State.<\/p>\n
Recall that the government of Imo had suspended Mrs Ottih indefinitely
\nfor using Facebook to pass on the request for her salary, after an
\nofficial report claimed that her action was an \u201cembarrassment\u201d to the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
But YCN insisted that one of the characteristics of a progressive
\ngovernment is the ability to respond positively to issues affecting
\ncitizen’s welfare, stressing that no well meaning administration will
\nhurt a citizen for demanding salary for work done.<\/p>\n
The statement reads: “Let’s begin by saying that what is good for the
\ngoose is good for the gander. We consider it rather antithetical for the
\ngovernment of Uzodinma that had enjoyed massive media support to
\nclampdown on a senior editor of commendable records.<\/p>\n
“An adage has it that you think of water when the well is empty. Imo
\ngovernor should know that his decision to stop the work of NAWOJ
\nchairperson is an attack on every journalist in the State, by extention,
\nit’s a confrontation loaded against the entire media industry, probably
\naimed at silencing members of the fourth estate of the realm.<\/p>\n
“We therefore call on the governor to address the issue raised amicably
\nin a way that will foster the delivery of free press. He should know
\nthat a matter that affects a journalist anywhere in the world is of
\nglobal concern, hence the need to manage it with wisdom, and not the
\nrecalcitrant haste that greeted the Ottih request.<\/p>\n
Advising further the statement urged the Imo number one citizen to
\nembrace the challenge with a positive attitude, adding that it’s
\ncounterproductive for a leader to exercise power without caution on
\nmatters of workers welfare.<\/p>\n
“Before the issue begins generating negative reactions worldwide,\u00a0 we
\nurge Imo governor to do the needful by cancelling the indefinite
\nsuspension previously declared on Vivian Ottih.\u00a0 The governor should
\nunderstand that as a senior editor,\u00a0 the chairperson was instinctively
\nmandated to speak for NAWOJ and shouldn’t be punished for being a good
\nleader.<\/p>\n
“A worker deserves wages; for a productive staff what is expected is
\npromotion and recommendations. Mr Governor, tell workers when their
\nsalary would be paid. Go further to recommend Ottih for big career
\nassignment so that other members of staff can be motivated to give their
\nbest in any capacity for the general good of the State.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Young Citizens of Nigeria (YCN) has asked Imo State government to reexamine the basis for the indefinite suspension of journalist, Vivian Ottih. This was contained in a statement issued…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":73556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n