-Exposes Fraudulent Activties Of Judicial Staff Behind Imprisonment Of NUJ-4
-Wants IJSC To Investigate Allegation
The Nigeria Union of Journalist NUJ, Imo State Council, like other well meaning groups and indivuduals has described the judgment delivered by an Owerri High Court presided over by Hon Justice C.A. Ononeze-Madu as a victory not only for Imo Journalists but also for all men of good conscience.
The union, in a release signed by Comrades Precious Nwadike and Ori Martin, as Chairman and Secretary respectively, commended the learned judge for exhibiting intergrity and giving credence to the age-long dictum that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
The release reads thus, “We have received with joy the impeccable judgment of the Honourable Justice C. A. Ononeze Madu, setting aside an earlier judgment that gave ownership of the multi-million Naira Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat located along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri to one Enedo General Services.
The union is grateful for this landmark judgment and wishes to use this medium to thank every person who stood by us, through these two long years of legal battle, given that journalists are development agents and not the false image created by the flawed perception of some morally compromised persons in the corridors of power.
Recall that some questionable elements among NUJ members led by one, Chris Akaraonye and Ifeaanyi Nwanguma had conspired with the outgone National President of the union, Mr. Chris Isiguzo, to sell the union’s secretariat, to a proxy of a former governor of Imo state, without the knowledge and approval of the members of the union.
These criminal-minded persons initially deceived the court into delivering judgment in their favour, via their false posturing.
Thereafter, the Enedo General Services, purportedly owned by an Anglican Priest, Engr Godson Nlemchukwu unleashed all manner of primitive antics in his desperate bid to intimidate members of the union using some appointees of the Imo state government and some cash-and-carry security agents.
It is worthy of note to state that the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, for two years the matter lasted did not take sides, except for his Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, who supported and still supports these hoodlums, who have created a bad image for the union, by falsely posturing to them that government was on their side. Infact, they are better described as “Emelumba Boys”, which must have given them the audacity to continue in this path of roguery and ignominy. If not for their deficiency in number, it would have been apt to describe them as: “Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves”.
We wish to also state categorically that, from the recent happenings, particularly with regards to how some occupants of our secretariat (NUJ-4) were “abducted” by the police and taken straight to prison without arraignment and trial, even when the case for which they were whisked away was still pending in court and did not have any of the poor victims as plaintiff, defendant or witness. Bundling innocent citizens who are struggling to make a living in a harsh econony into prison for DOING NOTHING, just because you can, is the depth of evil and unrivalled wickedness!
It has become expedient therefore that the judiciary at this point should take definite steps to purge itself of corrupt and criminal elements who are relentlessly bent on smearing the image of the Judges and the entire judiciary.
The Imo State judiciary must pay very close attention to the hideous activities of some Bailiffs and Court Clerks, some of whom may have found a way around our judicial process to perpetuate underhand deals, which are capable of denigrating the entire judicial system!
As our preliminary investigations revealed, one Onyekachi Uba, who claims to be a Chief Bailiff of the Magistrate Court, conspired and allegedly forged the signatures of some NUJ executives and presented same to the Magistrate while conspiring with the police to do the unthinkable, leading to the hush-hush imprisonment of the NUJ-4.
This we learnt, is their stock in trade.They have become willing tools in the hands of lawless and recalcitrant individuals who circumvent the process of law and extract undue judicial advantage through the help of some of these unscrupulous judicial staff.
However, it is regrettable that the Magistrate that issued the order ,sending the NUJ-4 to Prison without arraignment and trial didn’t carry out due diligence to ascertain if the Judgment that was brought to her for enforcement was in contest before granting her order.
Going forward, we shall beam our searchlight on these unconscionable individuals and in just a matter of time, they will face the music and will indeed, also have their day in court”.
