The attention of the Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has been drawn to a clandestine move by the discredited Chris Isiguzo-led NUJ in cahoot with Mr Declan Emelumba, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, to conduct a kangaroo election in total disregard to a subsisting court order.
Emelumba, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, to conduct a kangaroo election in total disregard to a subsisting court order.
Much as we consider their action contemptuous, null, void and of no effect, we wish to alert the public to be wary of the antics of these desperate elements who have evidently abandoned the practice of journalism for the trading of lame ‘media awards’ and ‘pimping’ of fake media support, to every shady politician that is willing to part with money.
These hustling goons represent in its entirety, the dysfunctionalities we have been battling to fix in the Journalism industry in Nigeria.
We maintain that NUJ as a professional body is not an appendage of the Ministry of Information.
We advise Mr. Emelumba to concentrate on managing his numerous blunders and failed media rackets that have consistently portrayed the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma in bad light, while yielding dividends for him and his acolytes.
When a matter is pending in court it is a legally enforceable practice that parties are expected to maintain status quo pending the determination of the matter.
In which case, the National Industrial Court (NICN) is yet to determine a matter, with suit number; OW/NICN/01/2019 before it.
Another case instituted at Imo State High Court, with suit number HOW/542/2021 is also yet to be decided.
This is even in addition to the recent Order by the NICN directing parties to stay action pending the outcome of the suit.
In view of the foregoing, the character and makeup of both Isiguzo and his co-travellers are well known to the public. We will not be surprised if they go ahead to announce their surrogates as new executives, just like they announced the retiree, Chris Akaraonye who has since fallen out of favour with Isiguzo for his inability to make the stipulated cash returns to him.
We know Isiguzo to be abysmally lawless, without scruples and delights in stirring up controversies wherever he goes. His irrationality and high handedness are the reasons NUJ under his leadership has ended up creating multiple factions across the country.
The only achievement traceable to Chris Isiguzo since assuming office is his fervent penchant for paying courtesy visits for handouts and hopping from one government house to another, and has so far been unable to add a single intellectual value to the journalism framework in Nigeria.
It is common knowledge that journalism in Nigeria sits on a shaky law that is barely able to protect journalists from brutality and intimidation, yet he is too busy romancing government houses instead of pushing for how to strengthen the laws.
That said, it will however be recalled that the Imo State branch of the National Industrial Court had in the last court proceeding issued a restraining order stopping Isiguzo and his agents from meddling into the affairs of the union in the state, let alone conducting election for it.
It is indeed regrettable that the Commissioner of Information, Declan Emelumba could so wilfully lend himself to mischief by compromising or rather conniving with these cheap characters who attempted to sell the Imo NUJ Port Harcourt Road secretariat before they were resisted and stopped by patriotic members of the union.
The question to ask Emelumba is, since conniving with these impostors, have you been able to achieve the good press you claim to seek for Uzodinma? The answer is obviously No! If Emelumba had achieved anything, it would only be the super-enriching of himself with the excuse of carving out media followership for the governor. Unfortunately, he carved out only non-practitioners for the Governor, and/
ofcourse no professional journalist would lend himself to the open denigration of his practice and industry, except those with inherent criminal traits.
All things considered, as they go out today to post another circus show, they can rest assured that, we shall again resist them.
Nobody should take our silence and decorum as law-abiding citizens for granted.
All concerned groups, media stakeholders and the public, are by this statement, duly notified.
