A cabal in the Ministry of Information has been diverting check-off dues meant for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
A source from the ministry said the check-off dues are deducted on the pay slip but does not get to the NUJ. The source confirmed this because the workers are always asked by NUJ to pay practicing fees for renewal of their identity cards. The check-off dues are meant to cover the annual renewal of members’ identity card and other obligations of a practicing journalist to NUJ.
This heinous act is perpetrated by some staff of the personnel and accounts department of the ministry and it has been in practice for years.
The amount deducted monthly from workers ranges from one thousand seven hundred naira only (#1,700.00) to over four thousand naira only (#4,000.00), depending on the worker’s grade level. And the deduction can be around five million naira every month, because there are about one thousand members in the ministry.
This revelation is a challenge before the no nonsense Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed. It is a call for other stakeholders; DSS, EFCC, civil society groups to come out and make sure that the cabal is fished out and their activities stopped.
urbanpaparazzionline.com 