The death of veteran journalist and former Edo State Secretary and South-South Zonal leader of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Pius Ede, has ignited a public debate over the welfare of journalists and the responsibilities of union leadership to members both during their lifetime and after their death.
The discussion followed an opinion article by journalist Mathew Okagha titled “The Silent Failure of Leadership,” in which he criticised the Edo State Council of the NUJ and the national leadership for what he described as their failure to publicly honour Ede after his death on June 27.
Okagha argued that despite Ede’s decades of service to the union, there had been no official visit to his family by the Edo State Council, the South-South Zonal leadership or the national secretariat more than a week after his passing.
According to him, the true measure of a labour union goes beyond meetings and official engagements to the compassion and solidarity it extends to members and their families in difficult times.
However, the Edo State Council of the NUJ has rejected the criticism, insisting that the article overlooked the union’s efforts to support Ede while he was alive.
In a statement addressed to Okagha, the council’s Secretary, Andy Egbon, said the union played a crucial role in securing financial assistance for Ede during his illness.
Egbon explained that after Ede retired from the Edo State Civil Service more than six years ago without receiving his gratuity, the council intervened when he required urgent surgery. According to him, the union wrote to the Edo State Government on Ede’s behalf while he was hospitalised, resulting in the approval and payment of his gratuity within one week.
He said the payment enabled Ede to undergo surgery and continue his medical treatment before he was eventually discharged from the hospital.
Egbon added that Ede later visited the NUJ Press Centre in Benin City to personally appreciate the leadership for its intervention.
The council’s secretary further disclosed that when Ede’s health deteriorated again, his family approached the union for additional assistance.
According to him, the council subsequently wrote to Governor Monday Okpebholo on June 25, requesting financial support for Ede and other journalists facing serious medical challenges.
He noted that the request was yet to receive approval before Ede died on June 27.
Egbon also revealed that Ede’s condition and welfare were discussed during the Edo NUJ Congress held on June 24, adding that arrangements had been concluded with the deceased’s family for a lying-in-state at the NUJ Press Centre in Benin City ahead of his funeral.
He questioned whether greater attention should be devoted to supporting journalists while they are alive rather than focusing solely on posthumous tributes.
The exchange has since shifted attention beyond the immediate controversy to broader concerns about journalists’ welfare and the responsibilities of professional associations in providing emergency support for members facing health and financial challenges.
Ede’s experience also highlights the difficulties faced by many retired public servants who endure prolonged delays in receiving gratuities while contending with medical challenges after leaving service.
While Okagha maintained that the union should demonstrate visible solidarity with bereaved families and publicly honour members who dedicated their lives to the profession, the Edo NUJ leadership defended its record, arguing that practical interventions to support members in times of need are a more meaningful measure of leadership.
As preparations continue for Ede’s funeral, the conversation has widened within the journalism community, with renewed calls for professional bodies to strike a balance between members’ welfare, institutional compassion and the recognition of those who have served the profession with distinction.
