OPINION: NUJ: Ethnic & Regional Dimension, A Dangerous Curve That Will Spell Doom
The attention of the REJUVENATION CAMPAIGN COUNCIL of Dele Atunbi for NUJ President, has been drawn to the orchestrated campaign of calumny, ethnic jingoism and deliberate attempts to introduce a dangerous dimension into the body politic of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), being championed by one of the presidential candidates with intention to create unquantifiable division in the NUJ along ethnic line just to satisfy his primordial interest in the wake of an election.
As a Campaign Council with premium on issue based campaigns, we would have ignored the drift but, for its contents which are ladened with tissues of lies capable of misleading our valued members of the Union as well as the right thinking members of the public.
*SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT*
It is a fact that the NUJ is a registered organisation with a dual status as a professional body and trade Union organisation.
The preamble of its Constitution, which is its grundnorm, makes it supreme in the conduct of its affairs.
Part of it, states; "We, members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),
hereinafter referred to as the Union, having firmly and solemnly resolved:
• To practice in accordance with the highest professional and ethical standards;
• To provide for ourselves a Constitution for the purpose of promoting good leadership and welfare of members on the Principles of freedom of expression, rule of law and social justice;
Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution, which shall be supreme and binding on all organs, officers and
members of the Union.
The Rejuvenation Campaign Council takes judicial notice of the fact that the NUJ as a professional body has three affiliates namely: The Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), NAWOJ and SWAN with clearly defined intendment as the primary purpose of the Union.
As a professional body, membership of the union and its leadership recruitment process do not encourage and or promote religious, ethnicity and any form of discrimination against its members whatsoever.
That is why any journalist practicing in any State irrespective of his State of origin can aspire to lead the Union in the state of practice and examples of State Councils' officers abound. That was why Garba Mohammed, who claims to come from Kebbi State, contested and won election as Chairman in Kaduna Council and not Kebbi, Olisa Egbunike and Silver Okereke both from the South East, were elected as Secretary of NUJ Lagos State Council.
It was on that premise that our presidential candidate, Mr DELE AtUNBI, an indigene of Oyo State was two term Secretary and Chairman respectively of Ondo State Coincil and later Vice President of the South West zone. Similarly, Mr Gbenga Onayiga from Ogun State was Vice President of Zone 'D' (North Central).
It is equally instructive that the out-going President of NUJ, Chris Isiguzo from Abia State contested election from Enugu State and during his first term, he appointed Mr Silver Okereke as the National Trustee for the South West zone of the NUJ and in his second term, appointed Mrs Bimbo Oyetunde, from the South West as Trustee for the South-south zone.
Similarly, the Zonal Secretary of Zone B hails from Kwara State in Zone D. We can go on and on.
Significantly, a former President of the NUJ, Malam Sani Zorro (from old Kano) contested his second term in office from Concord Chapel in Lagos Council.
This is based on the fact that participation in the leadership recruitment process of the NUJ, places emphasis on competence, capacity to deliver backed with place of work and not State of origin.
In addition, it will not be out of place to x-ray the leadership succession in the Nigeria Guild of Editors in the last ten years for the sake of emphasis:
Eze Anaba (from Abia State) is the current President, Nigeria Guild of Editors, who took over from Mustapha Isah (Edo)
Funke Egbemode (Osun)
Femi Adesina (Osun).
All are Nigerians from the Southern part of the country, because premium was based on competence and membership.
Furthermore, taking a look at NAWOJ another affiliate of the NUJ, Ify Omowole from Delta State contested and won election from Lagos as President and later handed over to Ladi Bala from Adamawa State, who is based in Abuja. She also handed over to Aisha Ibrahim Bura from Borno. Significantly, the NAWOJ election which was organised and supervised by the outgoing NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, witnessed the emergence of Aisha Ibrahim Bura (Borno) as President, Wasila Ibrahim Zulu (Kano) as National Secretary, Fatima Abdulrasheed(Kwara) as National Treasurer. Yet, these are the three principal positions.
Taking a look at SWAN, another affiliate of the NUJ, the present President, Isaiah Benjamin from Kogi, North Central, is practicing in Kaduna while the Secretary, Ikenna is based in Abuja.
Now to the NUJ, the leadership recruitment process has always been based on the place of practice and not place of birth and going by the facts on ground, our presidential candidate, DELE ATUNBI is practicing and contesting from the FCT Council based on the fact that he works with the headquarters of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) situated in Abuja.
We hold the strong view that if the spirit, letters and intention of the Constitution were to zone the office of the President, all other principal positions of the Union would have been so zoned which would have sent the professional aspect of the Union to the dustbin of history and the grave. For instance, if zoning was primary in the NUJ, why is the incoming National Treasurer of the NUJ coming from the same State of Abia where the outgoing President hails? Question to ponder.
May the NUJ never descend to that abysmal level as being championed by the present day ethnic jingoistic and warlord in a world that is collapsing to a community where Nigerians are holding different positions in various countries of the world.
Unlike a divide and rule presidential candidate who was impeached as Chairman of Kaduna Council over alleged maladministration and misappropriation after 8 months in office and also suspended from the Union, our presidential candidate, Dele Atunbi served out his terms as Secretary and Chairman of the Ondo State Council of the NUJ without blemish.
We are aware that the attack on our presidential candidate is a decoy by the impeached and discredited former Kaduna Council Chairman to cover his inadequacies and lack of needed experience in union affairs cum activities in order to mislead unsuspecting members of the union.
As our presidential candidate, Dele Atunbi who has led by examples, and telling members of the union of his action plans for the next three years, the Rejuvenation Campaign Council urges other candidates to sell their manifestos to members of the Union and allow delegates to elect a deserving and committed President in Owerri that will rescue and reposition the NUJ from the unacceptable level it has been pushed to. The Union and its members surely deserve a better deal.
The Rejuvenation Campaign Council is of the firm belief that the Dele Atunbi presidency when elected in Owerri by the grace of God and the popular votes of members, will change the narrative in the NUJ.
E-signed
Ado Adamu Also
DG Rejuvenation Campaign Council and Vice Chairman, NUJ Taraba State Council
