BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The National Executive Council (NEC), of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), rose from its meeting in Lokoja on Thursday slamming an indefinite suspension of its former National President, Mr. Waheed Odusile over what it described as “persistent anti-union activities”.
Also suspended along with Odusile, are the NUJ current Vice President Zone C, Petrus Obi, National Vice Chairman Zone C of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Chibota Edozie and Ngozi Agbo for anti-union activities.
The NUJ NEC meeting which took place in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital with all of its National Officers as well as Chairmen and Secretaries of State Councils in attendance, equally reviewed the current crisis and factions in the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and set up a five man committee to reconcile the two factions in the association.
These were contained in a communique issued at the end of the NUJ second highest decision making body, which pointedly rejected in its entirety the move by the Federal Government to regulate social media operators in the country.
It therefore called on the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed not to succumb to the temptation of restricting the social media which can easily lead to gagging the media.
This was just as the NUJ NEC frowned at some social media Influencers, who it noted indiscriminately masquerade as professional journalists and members of the journalism profession, to desist from such acts or be reported to the Police.
The NUJ Communique further states; “NEC in session also approves the use of centralized NUJ attendance registrar for State Councils to check sharp practices in the compilation of membership lists in States.
“NEC in session calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare state of emergency on deplorable Federal Roads across the country especially Ajaokuta – Itobe road which links the South East and South-South to the FCT.
“NEC in session appeals to the Federal Government, INEC, security agencies and political gladiators to ensure hitch-free electoral processes before, during and after the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.
“NEC also rejects the Nigeria Governors’ Forum position that they will pay new minimum wage according to what they described as the financial standing of their respective states and urge them to implement the Federal Government’s template as agreed upon with the NLC.”
The NUJ NEC communique which was compiled by the trio of Buba Abdullahi, Victoria Asher and Leke Adegbite and signed by the National Secretary, Mr. Leman Shuaibu, commended the Federal Government for the closure of the nation’s land borders and urge the government to prevail on marketers and local producers not to hike prices of goods and services.
The NUJ equally commended the Kogi State government and state Council of the Union for successfully hosting of the NEC in Lokoja.
