By Kelvin Obambon
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Cross River State Council has appealed to residents of the state to embrace dialogue as a preferred alternative to the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in the country.
The appeal was part of a communique issued at the end of the monthly congress of the NUJ Cross River State Council held Wednesday 24th July, 2024, at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, the state capital.
The congress, presided over by the council Chairman, Comrade Archibong Bassey, discussed critical issues with focus on the State of the Union, State of the State and State of the Nation.
In a five-point communique, the journalists “commended the Federal and State Governments for the palliatives given to organizations and groups and appealed that State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) should make the distribution process transparent as well as work with the media for accountability and fairness.”
They charged the Federal and State Governments to work towards phasing out distribution of palliatives and rather focus on food production.
The Union also “noted with dismay the sudden surge of beggars purportedly struck by tumour in the metropolis giving a negative image to the state, which is a tourism destination and called on the ministries of Health, Environment and other relevant agencies to evacuate them from the metropolis.”
“Congress joined the Federal and State Governments to appeal to peace loving Cross Riverians and other residents to embrace dialogue as the preferred alternative to the planned protest.
“Congress appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to urgently resolve the lingering issues with Dangote Refinery in the overall interest of the suffering masses,” the communique reads.