Crisis rocks Taraba NUJ correspondent chapel

EMMANUEL AWARI, Jalingo

Less than two months to elections into various offices of the Taraba State Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, the Chapel has started experiencing high division amongst its members.

A faction during its meeting impeached the current exco led by Woke Ayodele for breach of NUJ constitution for refusing to call for regular congress meetings.

Eighteen of the 25-member Chapel signed the impeachment notice.

Sani  Sulaiman of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), in a press conference at the NUJ Centre in Jalingo, said the impeachment followed a Vote of No Confidence earlier passed in the exco.

He explained that for refusing to hold congresses, the exco has violated Article 5(F)(6.a) of the Constitution of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

“The inability of the exco officials to hold congresses translates to lack of transparency and accountability in the administration of the chapel,” he added.

He said the Congress acted under Article 7, Subsection 3(III) of the NUJ Constitution to impeach the officials who have betrayed their trust.

Sulaiman added that “when the former Secretary of the Chapel, Mallam Nabilu Balarabe of NAN, left on transfer for over two years, even as at the time of this press conference, the Ayodele-led exco has refused to fill the vacancy through a bye-election.

“This violates Article 5(F)(5.a) of the NUJ Constitution which says such a vacancy shall be filled through bye-election within a period of three months”, he said.

The names of the impeached officials are: Wole Ayodele of Thisday (Chairman), Odeh Ogaji of The Voice (Vice Chairman), Justin Tyopuusu of The Punch (Assistant Secretary), Gabriel Yough of News Agency of Nigeria NAN (Treasurer), John Mkom of Leadership (Financial Secretary) and Athanatius Okerafor of Daily Times (Auditor)

The impeached officers were directed by Congress to return to the acting exco all documents and properties in their possessions belonging to the chapel within 24 hours.

“Any member of the public or group who transacts any business with the impeached officials on behalf of the chapel does it at their risks,” Congress said.

Congress promptly appointed new officers to act. They include: Alhaji Magaji Hunkuyi of Daily Trust (Acting Chairman), Nathaniel Gbaoron of BusinessDay (Acting Secretary) and Bashir Adamu (Liberty TV/Radio) as Acting Treasurer.

The Congress also set up a five-man team to “recover all Chapel’s documents and properties still in possession of the sacked officials and report back to Congress within 21 days.

 The team is made up of Ben Adaji of the New Telegraph as Chairman, Andrew Ojih (Blue Print) member, Sylvanus Viashima of The Sun (member), Yusuf Bawuro of Radio Gotel (member) and Salisu Waziri (VON) to serve as Secretary.

Reacting to the allegations, the State Chairman of the Chapel, Wale Ayodele during a Meeting at the Sectariat of the Chapel, described the allegations as baseless.

He said those who addressed a briefing in Jalingo the state capital, claiming 19 of the 25 members of the chapel passed a vote of no confidence on the sitting exco, also disclosed that two members of the sitting executives had resigned their post.

“Three of our members have been suspended whom include Sani  Sulaiman of Radio Nigeria, Ben Adaji of New Telegraph Newspapers and Magaji  Hunkuyi of Daily Trust Newspapers.

“I urged members of the chapel and the NUJ to disregard their ‘kangaroo announcement.’

 “They claimed we have 25 members in the Correspondent Chapel but our record shows that we only have 24 registered members.

“They also claimed 19 members signed a dissolution of the present executive including the Vice Chairman and the Auditor who they claimed resigned their appointment.

“But as you can see, the two executives who they claimed resigned their appointments are here with us and we have in total 14 of the 24 registered members of the chapel here.

“We know they are scared of the forthcoming elections because they know they don’t have the required numbers to win, and this is why they have resorted to falsehood against us.

“Besides, the National Secretariat of the NUJ had directed the suspension of all union activities; we are in awe as to why those that are supposed to be informed are bereft of simple instructions.”

Also reacting to the announcement that he resigned his appointment, the Auditor of the Correspondent Chapel, Attanatious Okerafor of Daily Times refuted the claim.

He said, “Whatever they said I did was in absentia and nobody can speak for me in my absence.

“I am still an executive member of this chapel and I disown whoever is claiming alliance with me to cause trouble in our union’.

The Chapel election is scheduled to take place in June this year after the expiration of the present executive.

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