– The Delta state NUJ election that was to hold on Thursday, April 20 has been put on hold for the next three months
– The postponement followed inflation of delegates list drawn from all the 16 chapels across the state
– The journalists disagreed with the list supplied by the elections committee and the outgoing NUJ executive
For various anomalies, ranging from inflation of voters list, non-availability of financial report from the outgoing executive of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) of the Delta state council, the state executive council election slated for Thursday, April 20, 2017 has been postponed for the next three months.
Practicing journalists who are members of the NUJ from over 16 chapels across the state had converged at the Labour House where the election was billed to hold at 10am on Wednesday.
But as the members were waiting for the commencement of election, tension began to rise following allegations of inflation of delegates’ list compiled by the outgoing executive and the body charged with conducting the elections into the various offices in the state council.
ZENITHBLOG.com learnt that most of the chapels had some of their members deleted while names of people who are not practicing journalists were introduced into the list as accredited delegates for the state council election in Asaba.
Crisis, protest rock Delta NUJ as April 20 elections hit break wall
While the elections committee insisted on using the delegates’ list allegedly inflated, some members who felt if the decision is allowed, it will affect their preferred candidates, resisted the move, a development which resulted to harsh argument among the executives and members of the various chapels in the state.
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Although there were arguments of falling back to the compendium earlier compiled by the outgoing state council and use the authentic names in it to conduct the elections, many felt it would lead to disenfranchising a great number as they were admitted after the compendium was produced.
Following the disagreement among chairmen of the chapels and election committee in the matter arising from the inflated voters list, coupled with the inability of the outgoing executive led by Nobert Chiazor to produce the financial records for the six years his council served, the election was postponed for the next three months.
In a statement signed by Gbemiga Bamidele, Senior Assistant National Secretary, who was sent from Abuja to monitor the elections, following the inability of the committee to conduct the elections, a five-man-caretaker committee was set up to oversee the welfare of the union and conduct an authentic election within the next three months.
Prior to the botched NUJ election, a petition was sent to the national secretary of the NUJ alleging that there was fraud in the inauguration of a new chapel, Truth Chapel, by the outgoing executive of the union.
The petition insisted that a newspaper, The Truth, being operated by an aide of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Kingsley Azu, has 22 journalists but the newspaper is alleged not to have an offence and no supporting staff.
Crisis, protest rock Delta NUJ as April 20 elections hit break wall
The petition said members of the staff of the medium are not known to journalists in the state neither has it
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The petition read in part: “Just last month, during the inauguration of the chapel, comrade Chiazor said the chapel has 10 members. Today, it has increased to 22 members based on the list submitted to the elections committee by the chapel.
“To show the Truth Chapel is but a fraud for the election, the newspaper hit the newsstand for the first time since last year, it has not printed up to five editions and this year 2017, it has not even printed a copy.
“It does not have an office nor does it have support staff. So, for such an organization to have 22 journalists in its payroll to say the list is fraudulent.”
Journalists from Warri correspondent chapel are presently having warfare among themselves over the doctored list from the chapel for the election. The chairman, secretary and members are exchanging cross fire over the inflated list from the Warri axis.
A response picked from the correspondents’ whatsapp group read: “NUJ image should be protected more than individual interests. The Warri correspondents list is faulty. We must show good example to the society as watchdogs. I am highly disappointed at those who are bent on dragging NUJ election to IYC or APC or PDP. I stand for justice and fairness,” one of the members said.
This is Labour House where the botched election was billed to hold in Asaba
Another member said: “We have to resist this fake list. That is the reason some people perpetuate themselves in office and call us bluff because they know they will always get away with it by bringing quacks at elections to vote them and their cronies.”
The Delta Broadcasting Service station in Warri also has running battle with the inflated list from the organization. Facts from there also indicates that students on industrial attachment and support staff were added to the list to favour some preferred candidates.
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In the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Asaba, it was learnt that the chapel submitted 16 names but were cut down to eight. This is even as others are getting inflated in their chapels.
Among the four members contesting for the position of the chairman are Fidelis Egugbo of THE POINTER Newspapers, Felix Igbekoyi of the Daily Independent Newspapers, Victor Sorokwu of Daily Trust and Michael Ikeogwu of THE POINTER Newspapers. Pointer Newspapers is published by Delta state government.
Another issue is that the members form groups and cliques among themselves so as to gain more acceptance from the delegates for the election.
The campaign period was tense as the candidates applied all kinds of vulgar languages against each other, just as they revealed the hidden truths and secrets of their perceived enemies in the profession.
Meanwhile in this ZENITHBLOG.com video, Nigerians have accused President Muhammadu Buhari of being the General Overseer of corruption.
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