New facts have emerged from stakeholders and eyewitnesses revealing the cause of the crisis rocking the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ.
One of such personalities is Mrs Susan Serekara- Nwikhana,. Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, who disclosed the minutes of meeting with the Commissioner of Police and NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo and gave a blow by blow account of events leading to the disruption of the NUJ State Convention at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre in Port Harcourt last Thursday.
In a statement to the Police Force Headquarters,Serekara- Nwikhana said she observed quite early about an impending danger to the stability of the NUJ and decided to initiate a peace move to forestall it
Her attempt to achieve peace made her to draw the attention of the President of the NUJ , Isuguzo to very sensitive issues bordering on the NUJ., which he however,ignored , she said
According to her,her advice to the President to “thread with caution” which fell on deaf ears was a calculated attempt to cause confusion in the union as in-depth analysis of the situation further revealed.
Her statement captioned Rivers NUJ ELECTION: FOOD FOR THOUGHT and sent to the Force Headquarters in Abuja and acknowledged as Ref No. CZ5300/ FPRD/ FHQ/ ABJ/ VOL.4/30 reads;
“Good morning, great colleagues. I can no longer keep quite in the face of what is currently playing out in Rivers NUJ. As a woman leader in NUJ and a peace maker, I have the responsibility of ensuring peace in my union. But that can only be done if we are all bold to speak out the truth.
“You would all recall my first Press Release that sued for peace in the Rivers NUJ election which some people considered to be too early. I told them No, that I was divinely directed by God in the dream to do that.
“I also advised the NUJ President who is causing confusion in Rivers NUJ election to tread with caution when he went out of his way to clear those who didn’t qualify as stipulated in the NUJ Constitution. Instead of treading with caution after my advice, he and his ilks threw caution to the wind. Too bad!
“I will not keep quiet until we have peace in Rivers NUJ because what I witnessed on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at the Rivers State NUJ secretariat was ridiculous.
“Wonders shall never end. When I saw a huge crowd and strange faces at the Rivers NUJ election last Thursday, I knew something was amiss. I knew the ranks and files of journalists had been infiltrated by thugs. The Nigerian factor that normally characterises elections in the country was, indeed, at play last Thursday.
“What baffled me most, however, was the hooliganism displayed by a government newspaper editor, who obviously is a stalwart and petition writer for the opposition (Liberation Team).
“Mr woman beater, because that’s what you are for slapping your female colleague; here is my piece of advice to you and your co-travellers.
“I believe that if you had put the energy, brain and strength you wasted to concoct lies, spread propaganda and disrupt NUJ election into proper use, you would probably have been in a good stead to win elections, rather than fighting, breaking bottles, turning down high table filled with bottles of drinks, and even attempting to beat a Zonal Vp who came to conduct the election, and who incidentally is even from your state. You even went to the extent of slapping your female colleague in the name of NUJ election. Shame!
“Honestly speaking, your place and the likes of you is at the motor park, certainly not in our noble journalism profession.
“Do you ever remember that it is only God that gives power and not by behaving like motor park touts? Think about it, has the kind of hooliganism you displayed on Thursday ever happened in the history of NUJ elections?
“Perhaps, you do not know that the more you continue to behave like motor park touts, the more you reduce your chances of winning.
“Do you ever give it a thought that your sponsor in Abuja who is the mastermind of this crisis and act of barbarism you exhibited last Thursday also wants to come back for a second term? He wants to go for a second term, but doesn’t want another person to come back? What a height of selfishness?
“You might have succeeded in disrupting the election and putting everything on hold, but remember that God is watching you. Have you forgotten the law of Karma, that what goes around comes around? God will certainly pay you back in the same coin.
“For those of my colleagues who may not be privy to what transpired at the Commissioner of Police office last Thursday, here is the highlight:
“The CP sent for me to come and confirm the person that called him as NUJ President since he didn’t know him nor have his number before. The NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, had already called the CP not to allow the election to hold. I, therefore, went with three other colleagues to brief the CP on the crisis.
“The CP, before me and others, put a call to the NUJ President to repeat what he had earlier told him. The call was put on a loud speaker.
“The NUJ President denied that he didn’t send the Zonal VP and Secretary to conduct the election, adding that the election was not approved to hold that day (Thursday) by him and that everything that had happened that day amounted to illegality.
“I then asked the CP that, going by what the NUJ President had just said on phone, it means everything that happened on Thursday amounted to illegality, and it is null and void, including the dissolution of the executives.
“The CP reasoned along with me and said that was a salient point. He quickly put another call to the NUJ President to ask him the following questions:
“CP: You said the Zonal VP and Secretary were not sent to Rivers State to conduct any election?
NUJ President: YES Sir.
“CP: Everything that happened today amounted to illegality?
NUJ President: YES Sir.
“CP: This means that their activities were also illegal?
NUJ President: YES Sir.
“CP: Including the dissolution of the Executive members illegal? Lo and behold, the NUJ President went dumb for almost one minute and later started to double speak.
“NUJ President: NO, they have been dissolved, I will raise a letter to be sent the following day for them to constitute a caretaker committee to continue from where the former leadership of NUJ stopped.
“CP: If you have confirmed that all they did today amounted to illegality, it also means the Executive members would remain in office till another election is conducted as soon as possible since you claimed their stay in office is long overdue?
“NUJ President: No Sir, a caretaker committee will handle the rest.
“Still on CP phone on a loud speaker, I asked the NUJ President why he wanted to constitute a caretaker committee in Rivers NUJ when there was no crisis until today?
“NUJ President: Like I said earlier, the executive members have overstayed in office, that is why.
“I asked the NUJ President again, why he denied that the Zonal VP and Secretary were not sent by the National Secretariat, but accepted their action of dissolution?
“NUJ President: A caretaker committee will be set up to continue from where the former Exco stopped.
“The CP cut in to tell the NUJ President that if truly he didn’t send the zonal officers to conduct the election as he claimed, it means all they have done was illegal including the dissolution of the executives. The CP said that was his stand. Then, the telephone conversation ended.
“My fellow colleagues, let’s reason together.
“In one breath, the NUJ President said the election was not approved to hold on Thursday and was, therefore, illegal. On the other hand, he said the dissolution of the exco was legal and that a caretaker committee would be set up to continue from where the former Executive members stopped.
“The question is, who is bringing confusion into Rivers NUJ election?
“But because the CP wanted fair play, he sent for all the parties involved in the crisis to join him and my humble self in his office.
“The NUJ Chairman, Stanley Job Stanley and Secretary, Ike Wigodo represented the Consolidated Team while Vice Chairman, Paul Bazia and his campaign DG, Amadi Akujobi represented the Liberation Team; the Zonal Vice President and Zonal Secretary represented the National Secretariat. I was there as a peace maker and NAWOJ chairperson.
“It was in the CP’s office that all of us agreed to return to the status quo ante since the election, according to the NUJ President, was not authorised by the National secretariat.
“The one million dollar question is this: If the Zonal VP was not authorised to conduct the election as claimed by the NUJ President, what right did the VP have to dissolve the exco? You cannot approbate and reprobate.
“As if the somersaults are not enough, the same man the NUJ President denied as being sent to conduct the election is the person he now calls to come and constitute a caretaker committee. What a volteface!
“Suddenly, the NUJ President came up with a strange press release to set up a caretaker committee when the present executive is still in office based on what both parties agreed with the CP, last Thursday. Who is then causing crisis in Rivers NUJ?
“Where is the integrity of a man who signed the approval letter and delegates list that was shown to the CP and the police on Thursday, only to deny later that he didn’t approve the election date and delegates list? What manner of man?
“This is the same person who asked the Rivers State Council to pay N1.7 million as check-off dues for election to hold, only for him to turn around and demanded for another N650,000 in addition to the salary vouchers of the chapels in contention, just because his stooges do not want certain chapels to vote for fear of failure.
“Mr NUJ President, your constitutional manipulations which you used to clear a candidate who attended only 4 out of 22 meetings, but disqualified another candidate that attended 9 meetings are well noted. But remember that very soon, Daniel shall come to judgement.
“I decided to open up because I can no longer swallow the seed of naked injustice you are sowing in NUJ. I know you and your men and women will want to go after me, but I don’t care anymore.
“Even if I leave office as NAWOJ chairperson, today, I will be proud that I have served my great association and my name is written in gold within a very short period. Truth be told, you are not a sincere and honest person as I earlier thought. I say this because your actions have succeeded in dragging this noble profession to the mud.
“Those that are close to me know that I always stand for truth and fair play. You can only earn back my respect, trust and friendship only if you retrace your steps, otherwise I say goodbye to you.
“My humble advice to desperate politicians in the journalism profession: Convert your strength to something useful; behaving like motor park touts will not make you win the election.
“Note that this piece is also forwarded to the CP for confirmation of what transpired in his office on Thursday, and in case anything happens to me, he should know who to hold responsible.
“Thanks and God bless you all.
