KADUNA—JOURNALISTS working with the New Nigerian Newspapers, NNN, have appealed to the 19 northern states governors to settle the N780 million outstanding liabilities owed workers of the company.
The Acting Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, chapel of the company, Mr Amos Mathew, who made the appeal in a statement in Kaduna, said: "We appeal to the Northern Governors Forum to expedite action in settling its own share of the liability from the time it took over from the Federal Government in September 2006 till date."
The statement acknowledged the recent payment of N420 million out of the N1.2 billion owed workers but said most of the money was used to settle pension liabilities.
It added that payment of the outstanding N780 million would assist in fast tracking efforts to privatise the company, stressing: "It will make way for outright privatisation of the firm, so that it can compete with other private newspapers in the country." The statement called on the northern governors to include the issue in their forthcoming meeting, stressing that the workers would not resume until the arrears were paid.
"Workers would also like to remind the management of the company that we would only go back to work when all salary arrears being owed are paid", the statement added.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that workers of the newspaper company have been on indefinite strike since February this year.
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