-May begin revalidation of members
The Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists which has for sometime been engulfed in leadership crises arising from the imposition of a retired photographer and staff of the Ministry of Information on the union with tacit support of Mr Chris Isiguzo whom we gathered was part of plot to sell the Union’s secretariat is set for Press week.
The union’s caretaker committee led by Comrade precious Nwadike, will commence it’s Press week on December 12, 2023 at the NUJ Press Centre, along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri. The grand finale of the event will come up on December 17.
Some journalists who commented on the crises that almost tore the union in Imo state to shreds said, “Imo NUJ has always been a peaceful, focused purpose-oriented professional body until some persons propelled by their selfish and fraudulent motives attempted to impose Chris Akaraonye who neither has an ordinary level certificate nor any training in journalism on the union, to facilitate their plot to sell the union’s secretariat to a former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.
According to them, “Chris Akaraonye who retired at salary grade level 08 does not have O, level certificate. If he had, he would have risen beyond that level after working for 35 years.”
It was also gathered that Akaraonye and his cohorts after making several unsuccessful efforts to stall the on-going renovation of the secretariat by the Precious Nwadike-led exco, took the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Imo State Police Command.
When they could not buy their way or compromise the officers who exhibited a high level of professionalism, they went to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia where their efforts have not also yielded the result they expected.
Meanwhile, Imo journalists elated by what the caretaker committee has achieved in a very short time, have continued to applaud them.
Speaking with journalists at the Council secretariat yesterday, Comrade Precious Nwadike while inspecting the ongoing renovation of the complex, regretted that the Union had suffered so much in the hands of imposters imposed on them by government or their agents .He vowed that NUJ under his leadership is committed to changing the narrative for the good of Imo Journalists.
Nwadike further stated that the mandate of the caretaker committee is to revive and reposition the Union of which they are not leaving any stone unturned ,”if we have to step on toes to get it right, we have no issue with that.Until practitioners in Imo distinguish themselves from retirees and those who take advantage of the porous system to claim to be one or some of us, the Union will continue to be portrayed in the bad light”.
The Orlu born Human rights activist averred that in tackling the spate of quackery in the profession, ethics and privilege committee has been set-up and charged with responsibility of separating the chaff from wheat, adding that the committee will work with security agents to fish out and arrest fake journalists in Imo.
He also hinted that the Union will soon commence revalidation exercise for it’s members.
