By Charity Nnochiri,

 The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Federal Capital Territory, FCT
Council has warned management of newspaper publishing companies owing 
journalists backlog of salaries to pay up within fourteen days or
stand the risk of  having their companies shut down.

 In a World Press Conference in Abuja, Chairman of the Council, Mr. Paul Ella Abechi described as the height of oppression the situation where media owners treat journalists in their 
employment shabbily.

 He listed the defaulting media houses to include Thisday, Leadership, BluePrint,  Daily Independence newspapers, and  African Independent Television, AIT

 The affected media houses were handed a 4-point demand urging
them to:  Pay all salary arrears to date  within the next 14 days; Create an enabling and conducive working  environment for journalists; Refrain from any form of  victimisation against their staff as a result of the  proposed protest; And to pay adequate attention to  training of staff. The Council threatened that failure  to comply will attract a massive protest against  the defaulting establishment

 Ella Abechi averring  that the days of impunity are over, and assured that the 
Council under his watch would leave no stone un-turned to ensure 
journalists working in the FCT do so under a conducive environment. He added  that he is embarking on the campaign for total liberation of journalists in the FCT having promised  before his election to make member's welfare a priority in
order to enhance service delivery in the media industry.

 According to him, it is  pathetic and worrisome  that the privately-owned  media houses which should be models  for best practices and efficiency would treat the welfare of  workers who keep the firms in business with disdain.

 "The need for reforms in the media sector is long overdue, and  FCT Council will as a nucleus generate the needed will-power for the total turnaround of the NUJ, while engaging in the fight  against corruption" he affirmed.