ASABA/Nigeria: Journalists in Delta State on Thursday celebrated the retirement of the Head of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Niger Delta Bureau, Mr. Benson Iziama, with glowing tributes pouring in for his professionalism, dedication and contributions to journalism practice during his years in public service.
Iziama, who served as Deputy Director and Head of the NAN Asaba Bureau since 2021, officially bowed out of the Federal Civil Service after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
The veteran journalist was honoured at a colourful send-off ceremony organised by the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), where colleagues, media executives and journalism stakeholders gathered to celebrate his career and service to the nation.
The event attracted top journalists and media personalities, including the Chairman of the Delta State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Churchill Oyowe; Chairman of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), Comrade Emmanuel Enebeli; former NUJ Chairman, Mr. Osita Biose; alongside correspondents and executives from various media chapels across the state.
Speaking during the event, NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, urged journalists to begin to see retirement as a period of fulfilment, rest and reflection after years of active professional service.
He, however, expressed concern over the poor welfare conditions facing journalists in Nigeria, lamenting that many media practitioners are often forced to continue working long after retirement due to financial hardship and inadequate pension structures.
“There are professions that have laws guiding their union and their interests are protected by law, but in journalism they work with ethics and not laws,” Oyowe said.
The NUJ chairman called for the establishment of a regulatory council capable of strengthening journalism practice, protecting media professionals and improving the welfare of practitioners across the country.
He also advocated continuous professional development for journalists beyond formal university education, noting that regular training and retraining would help improve professionalism and ethical standards within the industry.
“Retirement is not a death sentence, but a time for joy and settlement, a period to unite with friends and relations to fill the void,” Oyowe stated while wishing the retiree good health, fulfilment and divine blessings in the next phase of life.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel and host of the event, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, described retirement as a natural transition in every professional career.
“Retirement is the withdrawal of one’s position from active working life; many workers retire due to age, health challenges, or reduced capacity to function effectively,” he said.
Olannye described Iziama as a supportive, dependable and humble leader who maintained cordial working relationships with colleagues and subordinates throughout his stay at the NAN Asaba Bureau.
He noted that despite differences in official ranking, the retired journalist related with colleagues with respect, openness and professionalism.
According to him, journalism remains a highly demanding intellectual profession that requires deep mental engagement and sacrifice, yet practitioners are often poorly remunerated.
Olannye therefore called on relevant authorities and media proprietors to improve welfare packages for journalists, stressing that many practitioners are compelled to remain active in the profession after retirement because of poor pension arrangements and inadequate gratuities.
“After retirement, no journalist is supposed to continue conducting interviews or scouting for news everywhere, but because of poverty and inadequate remuneration, many find it difficult to settle down after retirement,” he lamented.
“Journalists should be given adequate gratuity and pension at retirement,” he added.
In his response, Mr. Benson Iziama expressed deep appreciation to members of the Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel and colleagues in the journalism profession for organising the send-off ceremony in his honour.
He described the event as a true demonstration of friendship, comradeship and professional solidarity.
“The degree of sacrifice, support, presence and availability was unprecedented,” Iziama said emotionally.
The retired NAN Bureau Chief also thanked the leadership of the NUJ, members of the Delta Online Publishers Forum and other journalists for honouring him in what he described as a memorable and fulfilling manner.
He prayed for continued unity, progress and divine blessings upon members of the profession, assuring that he would remain grateful for the support and goodwill shown to him throughout his career.
The ceremony featured goodwill messages, emotional tributes, testimonies from colleagues and presentation of gifts to the celebrant, as journalists reflected on his years of service and contributions to media development in Delta State and beyond.
