v Says: recipients may be blacklisted by union
By Martin Opara
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State council, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, informing him of the insistence of the Christopher Akaraonye faction to go ahead with the purported Imo NUJ legacy award, against the directive of the police boss that all warring factions step down and allow the Caretaker Committee be in control and exercise it’s mandate within the allowed time frame.
The Lambert Ojukwu and Amby Uneze led factions, who wrote the petition allege that contrary to the directive of the Police Commissioner and the Imo NUJ, the Chris Akaraonye faction is still going around and extorting money, from unsuspecting members of the public, with the promise of bestowing fraudulent awards of excellence on them, in the name of the union, when they are no longer in charge.
It was also alleged that prospective recipients of the questionable awards have paid between one hundred and two hundred thousand naira for the inconsequential awards that are neither here nor there.
Meanwhile, the Caretaker Committee of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State Council, in a separate statement issued by the spokesperson, Sir, Sunny Ndukwu warned those who are bent on accepting the dubious awards, inspite of the orchestrated fraudulent, and questionable antics of the organizers to be careful, to avoid incurring the wrath of Imo NUJ, as they will be seen as being among those who are out to rubbish the union and fraudulent sell it properties.
Ndukwu also stated that, NUJ as noble professional body does not charge money for bestowing awards of honour,hence no individual will be allowed, to under any guise commercialize the union and it’s activities.
