Former NUJ Boss, Comrade Mohammed Khalid Is Dead

Former National Secretary of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Malkar Mohammed Khalid is dead. He died on Saturday after a protracted illness at the age of 64. 

The National Secretary of NUJ, Comrade Khalid had in April 2001 given notice to leave his job in June of same year at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the union in Ilorin, Kwara State, in 2001.

His resignation followed the meeting's deliberation on the report of the Special Investigation Commission set up by the Union in Sokoto in September 2000 to probe into alleged fraud at the National Secretariat totaling N500,000.00 as well as other matters. 

He had served as NUJ National Secretary for three years until his resignation. 

Mr Khalid will be remembered for several of his evergreen works one of which is “Professionalizing Journalism: Which Way for NUJ?” where he jealously deliberated on the ethics of journalism and how to safeguard it from abuse. 

It read in part: “For the last fifteen years and perhaps more, stakeholders in journalism have occupied themselves with considering what should be the most acceptable status for the Nigeria Union Journalist as the journey to professionalize the art of journalism approaches a very critical stage. 

One thing that has been accepted with a great degree of unanimity is that there is no going back on professionalization, the only unresolved question being methodology and conceptual status of the union during and after the exercise.”

He is survived by his wife and children.