The Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, has commended Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for donating land for the take-off of the newly approved Headquarters of the 5 Division of the Nigerian Army in Makurdi and for allocating Personal Sub-Head Numbers (PSNs) to staff of the Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation (BPPC), publishers of The Voice Newspaper.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, held on Thursday at the NUJ House, Makurdi, and presided over by the Council Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber.
According to the communique, Congress unanimously commended Governor Alia for donating land for the take-off of the 5 Division of the Nigerian Army in Makurdi, noting that the Division, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would strengthen security operations and help restore peace in Benue State.
The communiqué also stated that Congress expressed profound appreciation to the Benue State Government for allocating Personal Sub-Head Numbers (PSNs) to staff of the Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation (BPPC), publishers of The Voice Newspaper, thereby integrating them into the state payroll system.
It further appealed to the Benue State Government to extend the payment of Weigh-in Allowance to journalists and other staff of state-owned media establishments who are yet to benefit from the allowance.
Furthermore, Congress condemned the recent attacks on communities in Otukpo and Guma Local Government Areas, which resulted in the loss of lives, and called on security agencies to intensify surveillance and intelligence gathering to halt the killing of innocent citizens.
Congress also appreciated the Benue State Government for making fertilizer available to farmers at subsidized rates, describing the gesture as timely in enhancing agricultural productivity and strengthening food security across the state.
Congress acknowledged with gratitude the sustained efforts of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in combating child and human trafficking in Benue State.
It urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and closely monitor their children and wards during the long vacation to protect them from kidnapping, trafficking, and other criminal activities.
Congress also called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to intensify its sensitization and enforcement campaigns against drug abuse and the trafficking of illicit drugs in Benue State, particularly among youths, in order to safeguard the future of the younger generation.
Congress was also briefed by the State Working Committee (SWC) on the dissolution of all Standing Committees and the two Ex-Officio members of the Council with immediate effect.
