– Seeks Governor, Police Intervention
A veteran journalist and former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State Council, Chief Ben Osuagwu has condemned in very strong terms the alleged plan by some individuals to sell the Imo NUJ Secretariat located along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.
Osuagwu, who stated this in a release he issued called on the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma and the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma to quickly intervene in the matter.
The veteran journalist in whose tenure, the secretarial was donated to the NUJ, narrated how the property was donated to the union by a former military Governor of the state said, “I, Ben Osuagwu, a former Chairman of the Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists – NUJ, call on the Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma and the Police Commissioner in Imo State to stop and intervene on the purported closure and wicked intention to sale the best NUJ Press Centre in Owerri by a group of people.
The Imo NUJ Press Centre was given to Journalists in Imo State by a one time Military Governor of the State, Commodore Amadi Ikwechegh under my leadership with all official documents and titles. I wonder how some people will wake up after collecting money from some individuals and claim that they will sell the Press Centre to them. Such a move is absolutely outrageous, insulting to the sensibilities of not only journalists in Imo State but to all journalists across the country and their noble friends and Patrons.
If anyone wants to sell any Press Centre, he should go and sell the one in his State and leave out the only Monument Journalists East of the Niger have. I wonder why people think that being elected into office makes them emperors that they will take unilateral decisions. The era of imperialism is over.
I humbly appeal to the State Governor and the Police Commissioner to stop the rascality of those individuals. The matter I learnt is in Court. They should allow the matter to end in the Court. Why hurry to go and lock up the Centre. If the money they collected from some people is choking them, they should look elsewhere and cough out the money and pay them back. We say NO to the illegal and criminal sale of the Imo NUJ Press Centre and the Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma should not allow this criminality to happen during his time as Governor of Imo State”.
