By ThankGod Emeh.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ; a hallowed and unmistaken professional body housing media practitioners or pen pushers across the country with 36 state Councils, and the FCT (National Secretariat/Presidency) as well as 6 Zonal Secretariats (and 6 Zonal Vice Presidents) is one duly established and recognised in Nigeria’s constitution as the fourth Estate of the realm which in other words is the fourth arm of the government that plays surveillance role in society and in same vein of formality, has a well documented Constitution and operates constitutional internally and externally.
In the foregoing, it has become so disturbing how the State of Imo State Council of NUJ has fared in recent times where an aggrieved group or lineup in the past chairmanship election has continued to brew worth not issues because they totally lost out in the elections by way of malignment of all sorts on the National and state leadership of the Union as well as anyone who shows disapproval or no support for their actions.
Issues have been raised and duly clarified about the eligibility of the leadership but the group has not seen reasons to play by the rules as well as act gentlemanly as the profession portends.
Verbal and physical attacks, and all worth not has been the duty call of the group with a tag name “Integrity Group” and it is so baffling and appalling for a house (group) to be against itself.
What exactly is this so called ‘Integrity group’ all about that it is so hard to go by its so acclaimed name (integrity) other than malignment, defamatory statements, attacks and counter attacks on a duly elected, constituted and highly recognised Union authority in Imo State as well as the National.
Whatever be the grudge, why stating a peculiar stance (your very view and not the very truth of the matter –of not accepting that someone somewhere was, is and could be more qualified to be the current Chairman of Imo NUJ and National President of the union as well as not accepting defeat and playing comradeship role to move the union forward) other than the obvious that the “Integrity Group” lost out in the all round quest for the leadership of the hallowed professional union of journalists.
There’s no gain owing claim of membership to a mother union that you run down by any move to sanitize the profession which many so called integrity faithfuls are busy damaging via actions and inactions on daily basis.
Where is the integrity when the ‘Integrity Group’ can not respect the national President and the national secretariat?
To Mr Lambert Ojukwu, I ask, “Had it been you were the (so longed to be) Chairman of the Imo Council of the union; would you have worked by the constitution or mere interest as seen in your actions?
Are you really talking of peace moves where you have not rest to put counter reports on the activities of the mother union (leadership) you claim to be a member of whereas the industrial court you took the union to because you lost the Chairmanship election has allowed them operate pending the final outcome of the case come 24th November, 2020. Are the derogatory comments, statements, fake reports/news about the affairs of the union and acts of inciting the general public against the union one of the peace moves as planned by the ‘Integrity Group’???
Is the wise and popular integrity saying that “He that must go to equity must go with clean hands” a mere talk or thought and has nothing to do with the group you belong to??? Then with what will the so called ‘Integrity Apostles’ lead when in power; I mean when their unholy prayers are answered???
They are talking of integrity But Where is the integrity when the group is parading as leaders those who has forged certificates and can’t deny when called upon to defend themselves?
Where is the integrity when a publisher who employed journalists, wants to lead his employers? It is unconstitutional in the union.
The constitution of the Union is well documented (written and as such not hidden or in only privileged hands but open to all members to know the workings of the union) and states clearly who and who’s not qualified for any elective position as well as who gets suspended and unsuspended for what and what worth not reasons.
What the integrity group or apostles has failed all through is having not told the concerned audience that Chief Akaraonye was just a photographer and nothing attached to Journalism and Mass Communication because as I clearly and professionally know; there is Photojournalism (a well planned beat for journalists as photojournalists, and there is a very conscious training in tertiary institutions to train Mass communication students in photography).
Talking of Akaraonye being a retired staff from the Ministry of Information as a photographer instead of an information officer and cannot vie for election in the union on grounds that he retired from active service (a veteran or retiree) while quoting the NUJ constitution sounds highly very funny and uneducable because the NUJ Constitution being misquoted by the so called ‘Integrity Group’; rightly allows a retired or resigned member to continue his membership provided he is duly qualified academically and practicing which Chief Christopher Akaraonye did.
Respect for constituted authority ought be upheld at all times as regards election screening committees. If the election screening committee did their thorough work and have scaled him means alot to imagine the under-reported, selfish, myopic and adulterated stance of the ‘integrity group’.
Please, where is the integrity clause (aimed at deceiving hail singers) when it can not respect the views of the past chairmen and stakeholders of the union??? Then he who wants to go to equity must go with clean hands.
I advise the ‘Integrity group’ or better put apostles to get a copy(ies) of the constitution of the union (NUJ) and consciously go through it while calling on the spirit of constitutionalism to lead them as the obediently digest them. This is emminent because getting the document may not be a problem via resources and more but understanding the contents while the spirit of constitutionalism is that which acts as conscience to fight, judge and halt the worth not actions from time to time.
For the records, there is nothing and nothing Near or Like ‘Integrity Group’ in NUJ Constitution. They are all schemers of the unknown; deceiving the general public into believing and sympathizing with them on their loss at the NUJ polls.
Ka Chineke Mezie Okwu …
ThankGod Emeh is pen pusher.
