COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE CONGRESS OF THE NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS (NUJ), ZAMFARA STATE COUNCIL, HELD AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, GUSAU, APRIL 26, 2025

By Ibrrahim Muhammad

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zamfara State Council, held its Congress on Saturday, April 26, 2025, with attendance of members from the 9 chapels. After extensive deliberations on issues affecting the union, the state, and the nation, the Congress adopted the following resolutions:

1. The Union commend the tremendous effort of the Federal Government for dualisation of Zaria-Sokoto highway which will boost social and economic activities of the citizens and ease transportation system as well as reduce road crashes as well as give more accessibility to towns and villages.
2. The Congress commended the giant effort of the Zamfara state government for the urban renewal projects which give the state capital city a facelift, the emergency policy on education and healthcare that resulted in total overhauling of major Hospitals, construction and remodeling of schools, renovation and reconstruction of ministries and government agencies.
3. The Union also appreciated the Governor Dauda Lawal’s led administration for taking a step to reconstruct the state council secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, to the best press centre in the country as promised before his emerges as the state Governor and the union call for timely completion of the projects as promised.
4. The union also noted the efforts of the state first lady Hajiya Hurriya Dauda Lawal on her women empowerment initiatives and poverty alleviation programs cutting across the state.
5. The union lauds the efforts of government at all levels and security operatives in addressing the security challenges bedeviling the state especially the rural areas thereby call for further fostering and strengthening more collaborations with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and other security agencies in securing lives and properties of the citizens to be well protected, while acknowledging the most recent state government collaboration with the National Counter for Terrorism Centre.

Despite all these efforts the union call for urgent attention and actions by the government and security agencies to improve the security architecture for lasting solutions to the security challenges.

6. The union sympathized with local government areas still heated with insecurity and called on the state government to intensify efforts in tackling these menaces in the affected communities.
7. The union applauded the state government for the payments of the long overdue gratuity of the pensioners’ both state and local government mounted to the tune of N13.6 billion, undoubtedly, this reduce the level of economic hardship, poverty and stress among citizens, describing it as first of it kind in the history of the state.
8. The union also upheld the state government initiative of starting the payment of 70,000 naira minimum wages to civil servants in the state, however, advised the government to dig into the root causes of minor cases of unbalanced payment on the payroll in the state workforce which is associated with unstable salary scales.
9. The Congress however called on the state governor to form a white paper committee that will look into the issue of the reinstatement of the real workers among the 4000 civil servants leveled as ghost workers and disengaged as a result of verification exercise.
10. The congress also observed the state government commitments and determinations into the welfare of the Nigeria Youth Service Corp (NYSC) for the renewal and upward review of their allowances which was stopped over thirty months ago, as this will motivate the corps members to troop into the state for the national assignment in a joyful manner.
11. The congress called on AGILE program and relevant authorities to intensify efforts in ensuring enrollment, retention and completion of girls child education in the state and also recognised the efforts of AGILE state office in addressing out-of-school adolescents girls and children with disabilities (PWD) and further call on them to foster more collaboration with Journalists for the success of the program.
12. The Congress appreciated the effort of former governor and State Minister of Defense, H. E. Bello Matawalle for his support to the union, noticing the recent repairing of the 18 seaters Bus belonging to the Union that involved in an accident, the vehicle was previously donated by him alongside with other vehicles to media Houses in the state,
13. The union also lauded the generosity Zamfara State Government, philanthropist and some elder state men to members of journalists and other less privileges especial during Ramadan and Edil fitir festival which include former state governors, H. E Senator AbdulAzeez Yari Abubakar, H. E Bello Mohammed Matawalle and Political adviser to the state minister of Defense, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmalikin Gidangoga, likewise, the congress appreciated the donations of chairs by the Zamfara State Chairman Universal Basic Education Board Professor Nasiru Garba Anka to equip the union’s CBT centre.
14. The congress after careful review of the achievement recorded by Comrade Ibrahim Musa Maizare led administration, their exemplary leadership and dedication to the affairs of the union was described as a Milestone achievements in the history of the union leadership in the state, therefore the congress unanimously pass a vote of confidence on their leadership and call on them to be more proactive and not relent on their efforts to champion the Union.
15. The congress then nominated a seven-man credential committee ahead of council election coming up on July 2, 2025, which the nominees will be forwarded to national secretariat for approval.

Communique drafting committee;

1. Abdullahi Abdulrahaman Chakwa, chairman
2. Rabi Yusuf
3. Jamilu Badamasi

E-sign by
Ibrahim G. Ahmad
Council Secretary