The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NUJ

  • Special prayers for journalists

    Special prayers for journalists

    A CLERIC, Pastor Chukwumeyere Ikejiaku of the City of Love Christian Centre, Ikeja, on yesterday called for special prayers for journalists in the country.

    He made the call at a prayer session organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos State Council.

    He said, “Journalists need prayers. Their efforts at informing the public always should be commended. They are the one exposing corrupt leaders and other social vices in the society. It is obvious that they are prone to attacks and that is why they need our prayers,” he said.

    The clergyman, however, cautioned journalists against publishing falsehood and urged them to do more of investigative journalism.

  • Ondo Speaker Adesina dies at 53

    Ondo Speaker Adesina dies at 53

    •SSG, NUJ mourn

    Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker Samuel Adesina is dead.

    Adesina, who represented Odigbo II, died yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was 53.

    In a statement, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Rotimi Adelola, described the late Speaker as “a bridge builder, a man of integrity and a team player, who placed the interest of the state above personal considerations.”

    He said: “The Ondo State government received the news with shock. We commiserate with his family, the legislature and the people on the loss. May God grant us the fortitude to bear the loss.”

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zone B, described Adesina’s death as “a loss to the legislature and the state.”

    In a statement by its Vice-President, Dele Atunbi, the union said the Araromi-Obu born politician used his position to advance the cause of the people.

    It said Adesina died at a time his experience was most needed, adding that he would be remembered for his “belief in the Nigerian project and the economic emancipation of his people.”

    NUJ commiserated with the government, House of Assembly and people on the “loss of a rare gem.”

    It prayed for the repose of the late Adesina’s soul.

     

  • NUJ condemns Obadina’s killing

    The national secretariat and the Lagos state council of the Nigeria Union Journalists  (NUJ)  have condemned the gruesome murder of Deputy Editor, Newswatch on Saturday, Toyin Obadina.
    In a statement issued by its National Secretary, Comrade Shuaib Usman Leman, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said the shooting of Obadina, by armed robbers, leading to his death, “was another sad reminder of the vulnerability of media professionals and this further heightens our concern for the safety of journalists”.

    Obadina was shot and fatally wounded by armed robbers last Friday night in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
    “While the NUJ condemns the continued killing of journalists in the country, it is no doubt that Obadina and many other journalists died because the Nigerian system over the years had failed to protect its citizens.
    “The death has yet again deprived the media of one of its illustrious journalists and it is very important to call on the Federal Government to take measures for effective protection of journalists because journalists, as the conscience of the nation cannot be subjected to constant fear and intimation by such impunity.
    “While we condole with the media family, we pray to God to grant the deceased eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the loss”, the statement read.
    The Chairman of Lagos NUJ, Deji Elumoye tasked the state government to live up to expectation, wondering what is happening to the billions of naira that has been saved into the state Security Trust Fund.
    While appreciating the Babatunde Fashola regime for his steadfastness against crime, Elumoye said there is need to do more in terms of security of lives and property.
    “It seems they have gone to sleep, criminals have gradually found their way back into the state. And I wonder what they are doing with billions of naira put in the Security Trust Fund”, Elumoye said.
    He also commiserated with Newswatch and Obadina’s family, while praying for the repose of the soul of the dead.

  • Bauchi NAWOJ hails FG, commission on gay suit

    Bauchi State chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists has hailed the Federal Government over the law banning same sex marriage, describing it as unnatural and immoral.

    The body also commended the Bauchi State Shariah Commission for its effort in tackling homosexual cases in the state.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of its quarterly congress held at NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi yesterday, NAWOJ noted that the seven suspected homosexuals arraigned by the Commission in Bauchi recently is a giant step to curb such ills in the society.

    NAWOJ, in strong terms, condemned same sex marriage in the country, saying ”it is against the teachings of Islam and Christianity, which are the major religions the majority of Nigerians profess.”

    The association further charged the commission to tackle diligently and seriously rape cases and severely punish any person found guilty of defiling, especially teenagers.

    It also thanked the state government for initiating policies and programmes that have impacted positively on the lives of youths and women in the state.

     

  • NUJ condemns assault on reporter by NSCDC men

    NUJ condemns assault on reporter by NSCDC men

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the assault of a reporter, Waheed Adebayo of Leadership, by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ibadan, Oyo State, last Friday.

    Adebayo was manhandled by NCSDC officers at the installation of the Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, at the SS Peter and Paul Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan. He was authorised by the church to cover the event.

    In separate statements yesterday, the NUJ, Zone B, and the Oyo State Council said they would sue the NSCDC.

    In the statements, signed by Zone B Vice-President Dele Atunbi and the Oyo State Council Chairman, Gbenga Opadotun, the NUJ described the assault on Adebayo as “criminal, brutish and appalling.”

    It said the action by the NSCDC officer was an infringement on Adebayo’s rights, adding: “The NUJ takes judicial notice of this barbaric action, which is least expected from a paramilitary organisation as the NSCDC, an organisation that should be civil in its actions.

    “The union demands a public apology from the NSCDC and reiterates its commitment to the protection of the rights of members. The union demands the identification of the men who committed the act and their reprimand.”

    The NUJ directed reporters to severe relations with the officers and men of the NSCDC, Oyo Command.

  • Anti-Amaechi militants ‘got N50,000, AK-47’

    Anti-Amaechi militants ‘got N50,000, AK-47’

    The rampaging militants, who disrupted the pro-Rotimi Amaechi’s Save Rivers Movement (SRM) rally on Sunday at Bori, Rivers State, each got N50,000. They were given AK-47 assault rifles by politicians, it was learnt yesterday.

    Impeccable sources in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoni land and the seat of Khana Local Government Area, yesterday indicated that the militants decided to wear masks, since they were mobilised from the area by desperate anti-Amaechi politicians.

    The sources also revealed that brand new AK-47 rifles, with each costing almost N500,000 were given to the militants, who were familiar with the terrain.

    It was also gathered that the militants, mostly youths between 20 and 35 years, were assured of more “operations,” with the intention of making Rivers state ungovernable and Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to completely lose focus.

    An ally of Amaechi, also yesterday, raised the alarm that some ex-Niger Delta militants had concluded arrangements to commence massive protests in Port Harcourt today, to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state.

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers council, condemned Sunday’s militants’ attack on journalists, especially those from the Channels Television, who were in Bori for the live transmission of the SRM’s rally lost valuable items.Their vehicles, including the Outside Broadcasting (OB) van, were vandalised.

    The Council of Orashi Ethnic Nationality in Rivers state also demanded an apology from Amaechi and the people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality, for recommending the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, to President Goodluck Jonathan as a minister. Amaechi and Wike are Ikwerre.

    The NGF chairman’s ally, who is a top Rivers government official, but would not want to be named, also confirmed in an interview in Port Harcourt yesterday that the protesting ex-militants intended to lock down the Rivers state capital and besiege government offices, for President Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the Niger Delta state and force Amaechi out.

    The Rivers governor’s associate said Wike and his supporters, in collaboration with the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, were behind the plot to cause a breakdown of law and order with the use of the ex-militants, to be coordinated by some “ex-Generals” (former warlords).

    It was also learnt that part of the plot was that immediately after the declaration of the state of emergency, a retired soldier from Rivers state would be made a military administrator and the Presidency would make it difficult for Amaechi to return as governor.

    The appointment by President Jonathan, for the first time, of a Rivers indigene, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Bipiduonyeofori Minimah, as the Chief of Army Staff, according to the source, was part of the plan by the Presidency and the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to take over Rivers state in 2015 at all costs.

    The associate of the NGF chairman said: “The anti-Amaechi protests in Port Harcourt may escalate into fiery street battles, between the anti-Amaechi demonstrators and the teeming supporters of the Rivers Governor.”

    The NUJ, Rivers council, yesterday in a communiqué issued at the end of its emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, following incessant attacks on journalists in the state, and signed by the Chairman, Opaka Dokubo, and the Secretary, Stanley Job Stanley, described the ugly situations as unacceptable.

    Rivers NUJ said: “Journalists are professionals carrying out their duties, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other International Charters, of which Nigeria is a signatory. Journalists are not interested parties in the political crisis, currently rocking Rivers State.

    “We condemn the attack on journalists working for Channels Television on Sunday, January 19, 2014, at Bori, during the botched SRM rally. We recall similar attacks on journalists working for TV Continental (TVC), The Sun newspaper, Rivers State Television (RSTV), and Rhythm 93.7 FM, Port Harcourt, among others.

    “We find this situation unacceptable and urge political parties, groups and their followers to engage in their activities and leave journalists alone to practise their chosen profession. We also condemn a situation where policemen and other security agents attack journalists or even standby and watch, while journalists are being attacked by hoodlums.

    “We call on the police and other security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians in Rivers State, irrespective of their political affiliations. We also call on the police and other security agencies to ensure the protection of journalists operating in the state, in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.”

    The NUJ, Rivers council, also warned that should the incessant attacks on journalists in Rivers state continue, it would take appropriate steps, including the withdrawal of the services of its members.

    While demanding an apology from Amaechi for recommending Wike as a minister, the council of Orashi ethnic nationality, through its Director, Media and Publicity, Ndu Nwobosi, declared that the ex-Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt (Wike) was not only a cog in Rivers wheel of progress, but a selfish and mischievous person.

    The Orashi group noted that the quest for power by Wike, the Director-General of Amaechi Campaign Organisation in 2011 and two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers state, had turned him into a vessel for the destruction of the people and hijacking of their resources.

    The council of Orashi ethnic nationality said: “We wish to advise the people of Ikwerre to request the removal of Wike as a minister, to save the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality from further embarrassment. With the turn of events, Rivers people would have been comfortable without an Ikwerre minister.

    “Against the warning of President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Amaechi insisted that Wike must be made a minister. The option left for the Rivers State Governor is to apologise to the Rivers people, for the trauma his action has caused.

     

  • ‘Anambra mistakes can’t undermine future polls’

    Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Prof. Adekunle Ogunmola has assured Nigerians that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not repeat the mistakes it made in the last Anambra State governorship election in Ekiti and Osun states.

    Ogunmola gave the assurance at his Oyo home while hosting members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council.

    He said the commission has identified the causes of the mistakes and believes they are not general problems that can undermine the credibility of future elections.

    Lamenting that the situation was blown out of proportion, he identified the non-payment of workers’ allowances and the omission of names on the voter register as the problems in Anambra, “which were not effectively managed and led to the crisis”.

    Ogunmola said the commission was reassessing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the aim of improving it. He said efforts were also on to update voter registers.

    Ogunmola said INEC was working on modalities to ensure that its officials do not compromise credibility and fairness in future elections.

    Referring to the Anambra poll as a blessing in disguise, he said if the issues in the election had not arisen, the commission would have gone to rest believing it was fully prepared for the 2015 general elections.

    Promising that the Osun and Ekiti governorship elections would not go the Anambra way, Ogunmola urged voters to cross-check their names as soon as the commission displays the voter list, so that corrections can be made, if need be, before the elections.

    Oyo NUJ Chairman Gbenga Opadotun, lauded the working relationship between INEC and the media, stressing that journalists would continue to play a crucial role in democracy, particularly by enlightening voters on their rights and responsibilities.

     

  • ‘NUJ tour will enhance grassroots development’

    Chairman Abaji Area Council, Hon. Yahaya Garba has said the project tour of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) to Area councils of the territory would engender better development in the Territory.

    Yahaya said this when he received journalists at the Abaji Secretariat even as he stressed that his administration was not unawares of it’s responsibilities to the electorate on whose mandate he is in office.

    He noted further that the tour will make the political leadership to be accountable to their electorates on whose votes they are empowered to lead the people.

    “As a thorough democrat, I want to categorically commend the FCT-NUJ, for coming up with this initiative of going round all the Area Councils and other agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration which to my conviction will not only challenge us to live up to expectation.

    “It will serve as an avenue for elected representative to be conscious of the fact that we are accountable to the people and in the same vein create a platform to showcase our developmental efforts to the electorates as well as our tax payers.

    “We are not unaware of our responsibilities as elected representative of the people, the task ahead of us is an enormous one.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abuja council, Comrade Chuks Ehirim told the chairman that the mission of the tour is to showcase the meaningful projects of the council.

    He pointed out that journalists are like perpetual critics who do so for the better of society in this case the council and the politics.hairman Abaji Area Council, Hon. Yahaya Garba has said the project tour of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) to Area councils of the territory would engender better development in the Territory.

    Yahaya said this when he received journalists at the Abaji Secretariat even as he stressed that his administration was not unawares of it’s responsibilities to the electorate on whose mandate he is in office.

    He noted further that the tour will make the political leadership to be accountable to their electorates on whose votes they are empowered to lead the people.

    “As a thorough democrat, I want to categorically commend the FCT-NUJ, for coming up with this initiative of going round all the Area Councils and other agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration which to my conviction will not only challenge us to live up to expectation.

    “It will serve as an avenue for elected representative to be conscious of the fact that we are accountable to the people and in the same vein create a platform to showcase our developmental efforts to the electorates as well as our tax payers.

    “We are not unaware of our responsibilities as elected representative of the people, the task ahead of us is an enormous one.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abuja council, Comrade Chuks Ehirim told the chairman that the mission of the tour is to showcase the meaningful projects of the council.

    He pointed out that journalists are like perpetual critics who do so for the better of society in this case the council and the politics.

  • Borno is not about Boko Haram alone, says Shettima

    Borno is not about Boko Haram alone, says Shettima

    Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State says there are many good things in the state other than the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Shettima, speaking at the 2013 Press Week and Northeast zonal meeting of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Maiduguri, said the state is better now than it was two years ago and that the current insurgency will soon fizzle out.

    “Most Nigerians have imagined fears about Borno mainly due to what they hear or read as news about us. I am sure that our visitors now have a different or less scary opinion of Maiduguri,” he said.

    “You must have seen the traffic on the roads contrary to impressions you might have formed that roads were empty; you must have seen commercial activities in place as against fears you might have had that no businesses existed.

    “You might have seen some projects, few I must say, from what we are doing across the state; in sharp contrast with an impression you might have had that government was at stand still.”

    He asked the journalists to tell other Nigerians and the rest of the world what Borno is and not what it is thought to be.

    He added:”Borno is not all about Boko Haram and I will call on the media to tell more of our real stories. There are many good things happening in Borno State on all sectors.

    “I am glad that Maiduguri is today safer than it ever was in the last two years and the rest of the state is also picking up even though we still have some challenges we are working very hard to surmount.”

  • Uduaghan to journalists: promote national cohesion

    Uduaghan to journalists: promote national cohesion

    Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has urged journalists to promote national cohesion and stability.

    He spoke yesterday in Asaba at the opening of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council Press Week.

    Represented by Deputy Governor Prof. Amos Utuama, the governor advised journalists to be wary of doing anything that could destabilise the country.

    “I implore every journalist to consider national cohesion, stability and well-being in deciding what to write or air to the public. Let us not, by words or actions, do anything that will destabilise our country by guarding against the antics of rumour mongers, fifth columnists, publicity-seeking individuals and others, who do not wish the nation well,” he said.

    According to Uduaghan, the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act should be judiciously used.

    He said: “It has to be used for the edification of our society and the sustainable development of our country. The era of publishing to be damned is over. It served its purpose during the fight for freedom under colonial rule. Now, both sides have to serve the interest of the public.”

    The governor hailed the journalists working in the state, saying they had helped to “give vent to our policies, programmes and activities.

    ‘’I appreciate your understanding, patience and, sometimes, bashing. The mixed grill is what it is supposed to be.”

    The Chairman, NUJ Delta State Council, Comrade Norbert Chiazor, hailed Governor Uduaghan for being media-friendly.