A group under the auspices of Concerned Bonafide Journalists has called on the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, to disband the Credentials Committee saddled with responsibility of conducting the FCT NUJ Council
election.
Its Convener, Mr Emeka Nze, who made the call on Tuesday at a news conference in Abuja, said the credentials committee should be disbanded to ensure fairness, excellence, merit and most importantly, to uphold the professionalism of Journalism not only in the FCT, but in Nigeria as well.
Recall that the National Secretariat of the union constituted a credentials committee following the crisis rocking the union over the upcoming election after the expiration of the tenure of current executives on Dec. 4, 2024.
Nze said, “We call on the National President, Chris Isiguzo to tow the path of caution and listen to the voice of reasons, by rescinding the ill-advised pursuit to impose a preferred person on the leadership of the FCT council without allowing the constitutional criteria be followed.
“The National President, in conjunction with the FCT leadership of the Union, should convene an emergency stakeholders meeting involving Aspirants to the contested position, former NUJ, FCT Council Chairmen, and Aspirants’ legal counsels to deliberate on all petitions written to the National Secretariat by all parties concerned, on this matter, with a view to arriving at a constitutionally allowed outcome.
“That the illegal Credentials Committee foisted on the FCT Council be disbanded until two named above are concluded.
“That henceforth, Mr Henry Umoru, who is evidently the National President’s executioner in his desperate bid to foist a candidate on the Council rescinds his illegal and egoistic foray of parading himself as the Chairman of the Kangaroo, Unconstitutional and Criminal Credentials Committee which was hastily created to handover the Council to the highest bidder.
“That he, Henry Umoru, a staff of the Vanguard Newspaper, is a well known Journalist but unqualified member of the Union whom according to Article 3(1&2) continues to parade himself in flagrant violation of Article 3 of the NUJ Constitution, hence is best described as a Quack with no locus standi to be a member of any credentials committee to screen Aspirants to the leadership of any such professional body.
“That the presence of Henry Umoru, or any such as him who are in violation of Article 3 or 4 or any section of the constitution, is akin to having thugs take over the Body of Benchers in the Nigerian Judiciary, or the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) where crucial, sensitive and critical decisions regarding these Professional bodies are made.
“And that, notwithstanding whatever promises he had made to deliver whoever Aspirant to Head the Council, the National President, Chris Isiguzo, and his Associates at the National Secretariat of the Union, should henceforth desist from his unnecessary interference in the Affairs of the FCT Council, and should as a matter of fact, become a passive Observer until when called upon by the provisions of Necessary and Relevant Sections of the Union’s Constitution.
He recalled that the council following the anticipated expiration of the tenure of the current executives, Dec. 4, 2024, began preparation for another round of election that will usher in a new leadership.
“In line with the provisions of Article 61a paragraph 2 of the NUJ Constitution 2023 as amended, the executive led by the Chairman, Comrade Osaretin Osadebamwen, on October 19, 2024, held a Congress which was unfortunately disrupted by one Mr Alex Umoru, a non member of the NUJ.
“From findings, Umoru is a member of the Senior Staff Association in Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation who in a desperate and unconstitutional attempt at foisting the will of a group he led, against the majority of right thinking members of the Union, turned the venue of the Congress into a thunderous confusion with shouts and threats of violence and physical harm on dissenting voices.
“Consequently, the congress was dismissed abruptly by the FCT leadership, and reconvened in an emergency session on October 21, 2024, two days later when another brazen illegality took place.
“No sooner had the Congress started than it turned into a mob action with a former Chairman of Council, Amos Duniya, taking over proceedings of the special Congress, clearly contrary to the Constitution which says the Head of a State Working Committee and Chair of State Congress would be the Chairman. It is important to note that the non-member Alex Umoru procured to foment trouble featured again in his brigandage.
“We are not unaware of the fact that all these measures to destabilise the committee at the Council level were to pave the way for the mastermind who orchestrated the plot, President Isiguzo to take over the process using the National Secretariat as alibi.
“This brazen illegality which is tantamount to setting aside the groundnorm upon which the Union is built, was thereafter challenged by the leadership of the FCT Council in a petition to the National Secretariat.
“The petition duly signed by the duo of the council Chairman and the secretary detailed the unhealthy and unprecedented interference of Isiguzo and his lackeys at the National Secretariat, in the smooth operation and runnings of the FCT council.
“Whilst the petitioners, for the sake of peace, unity and stabilisation of the union, chose a large heart to give the credentials committee a chance to midwife the election for a new set of executives for the council, they, invoking their constitutional powers called the attention of the National President and those walking with him on this path to relevant provisions of the Constitution that would ensure a rancour free exercise.
“Particularly, the petition stressed on the need of ensuring that only Journalists allowed by Article 3, 4 and 6 of the Constitution which set out the qualification for membership of the Union are allowed into the credentials committee to ensure fairness, excellence, merit and most importantly, to uphold the professionalism of Journalism not only in the FCT, but in Nigeria as well.
“The Council’s petition to the National Secretariat which in effect was a response to an earlier petition from the Isiguzo administration’s unconstitutional sack of some members of the Credentials Committee in favour of three persons (Henry Umoru, Elizabeth Atte and Sarah Osugbo) who are to do his biddings of installing his preferred person to Head the council; detailed the absence of relevant academic qualifications in line with Article 3 of the constitution, as violation of the requirements for membership of the committee.
“More petitions from the other Aspirants for the Chairmanship seat Viz; JohnChuks Onuanyim, Victorson Agbenson, and another from a concerned Journalist – Mr Emeka Nzeh, of Blueprint Newspaper, Abuja, further called the attention of the National President to the looming crisis that is being created by his ill-guided decision to trample the NUJ constitution under foot in his desperate attempt to fulfill what seems as a promise made to impose unqualified aspirants in flagrant violation of the rules guiding the NUJ,” he said.
