Journalists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to urgently step in and save the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Utako, Abuja, from total collapse.
The appeal was made during the NUJ FCT Council’s second Congress held on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Members described the condition of their Secretariat as an embarrassment to the journalism profession, saying the building had been left to decay for far too long.
The union urged the government to complete the long-abandoned Pentagon project, which they believe would restore dignity to their work and give journalists in the FCT a proper place to gather and operate.
But the appeal didn’t stop there. The journalists also spoke out on the tough conditions facing Abuja residents, highlighting the frequent power cuts by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and the high costs of telecommunication services, which they say are making life harder for people.
The NUJ also called on the Federal Government to introduce free maternal healthcare, warning that inflation and the rising cost of living are causing more mothers to die during childbirth.
The union asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to regulate telecom billing more strictly, urging the government to protect ordinary citizens from excessive charges.
The NUJ FCT Council ended the congress by promising to keep pushing for the welfare of its members and to hold leaders accountable for better services in the FCT.
