ASABA/Nigeria: A call had gone to the Delta State Government to include journalists in the state in the palliative measures that is being planned to be shared to communities in the state, to cushion the effect of the lockdown effect on the coronavirus pandemic.
The call was made by the Nigeria Union Of Journalists, NUJ Delta State Council, while commending the journalist for their efforts to bring the threat of the disease to the public.
In a statement journalists in the state were particularly commended for their selfless disposition towards providing objective on-the-spot reportage on the pandemic to the citizenry and in the process exposing themselves to the virus.
The statement signed by the Council Chairman, Michael Ikeogwu and Secretary, Churchill Oyowe, called on journalists to remain committed to their job, which the council described as thankless.
The statement, which also commended the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for taking the painful decision to extend the lockdown by another two weeks, encouraged residents to see the act as the best for the ultimate safety of all.
The council called on the state government to put in extra tact to ensure that the various palliatives got to all in need, emphasizing that the successful implementation of such measures would enhance willful compliance of residents with the lockdown.
Making special appeal for journalists to be considered by the state government for palliatives and needful personal protective equipment such as face mask and sanitizers, the council reasoned that they should also be encouraged through the provisions of welfare packages, saying that the present situation had also made them vulnerable.
The council also thanked the various security agencies for doing a thankless job in the sun and rain, enforcing the lockdown and called for more understanding in dealing with members of the public, even as it advised residents to respect law enforcement agents and comply with the lockdown directive.
For emergencies during this period of lockdown, the council advised its members and the general public to call, for possible intervention, the following numbers: 08033362580, 07030506047, 08062269772, 08035664991, 08034494747 or 08034283935.
