FCT NUJ election: Concerned journalists want credentials committee disbanded
ABUJA – A group under the aegis of Concerned Bonafide Journalists in the FCT has urged the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, to disband the Credentials Committee set up to conduct the forthcoming FCT NUJ Council election.
Its Convener, Mr Emeka Nze, who addressed a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said the group wants the credentials committee be disbanded with immediate effect to uphold professionalism and ensure fairness, excellence, and merit.
Recall that the credentials committee was set up by the National Secretariat of the union ahead of elections after the tenure of the current executives on Dec. 4, 2024.
The FCT chapter of the union has been embroiled in crisis over the upcoming election.
The group alleged that a non-member of the union was foisted on members to head the credentials committee, contrary to the provisions of the NUJ constitution.
It alleged that this was part of a plot to impose a preferred candidate of the NUJ President.
“We call on the National President, Chris Isiguzo to tow the path of caution and listen to the voices of reason, by rescinding the ill-advised pursuit to impose a preferred person on the leadership of the FCT council without allowing the constitutional criteria to be followed.”
The group advised the NUJ national president to, in conjunction with the FCT leadership of the union, convene an emergency stakeholders meeting involving all aspirants, former NUJ FCT Council Chairmen, and the aspirants legal counsel, to deliberate on all petitions written to the National Secretariat by all parties on the matter, with a view to arriving at a constitutionally allowed outcome.
It added that “the illegal Credentials Committee foisted on the FCT Council be disbanded”, while Mr Henry Umoru, appointed to head the committee be made to stop parading himself as such.
The group stressed that Umoru’s appointment was unconstitutional and only done to allow the credentials committee “handover the Council to the highest bidder”.
According to the grouped, even though Umoru works for Vanguard Newspaper, he is not a qualified member of the Union as made clear by Article 3(1&2) of NUJ constitution.
It described credentials committee chairman 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 anyone 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.”
The group further cautioned Isiguzo and his associates at the National Secretariat of the Union, to desist from unnecessary interference in the affairs of the FCT Council.
It added that, Isiguzo “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.”
The he group noted that the FCT Council had, before the interference of the National President, began preparation for the election that will usher in a new leadership, but the efforts were being sabotaged by some agents of destruction.
“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 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 stipulates that only 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 this brigandage.
The group said it was aware that the confusion was being created deliberately to pave the way for the NUJ President to take over the process using the National Secretariat as alibi.
“This brazen illegality which 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 the 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.”
It explained that FCT Council’s petition a response to Isiguzo administration’s unconstitutional sack of some members of the Credentials Committee in favour of Henry Umoru, Elizabeth Atte and Sarah Osugbo, “who are to do his bidding of installing his preferred person to Head the council.”
“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 the 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,” the group stressed.
