The crisis facing the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo state council, was finally laid to rest last Friday, as new executives were elected to pilot the affairs of the chapel for the next three years.
The officials elected included Comrade (Mrs) Nefishetu Yakubu of News Agency of Nigeria (Chairman), Jethro Ibileke of TheNEWS (Vice Chairman) Osaigbovo Iguobaro (Secretary), Idris Momoh of BusinessDay (Financial Secretary) and Banabas Uzozike of Vanguard (Tresurer).
The new exco who were returned unopposed would succeed the former Exco led by Simon Ebegbulem which was dissolved by the State NUJ Congress last month.
State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Sir Roland Osakwe who sworn in the newly elected chapel officials, charged them to at all times serve interest of members, adding that the “Union is bigger than any individual.”
The new chapel Chairman, Mrs Yakubu thanked members for the confidence reposed in her leadership.
She promised not to betray the confidence reposed in her and members of the exco.
NAN recalls that the chapel had been in crisis over the misappropriation of N4.5.million chapel fund realized from one of its media events, but was misappropriated by the Simon Ebegbulem-led exco.
Ebegbulem who was then a Vanguard Correspondent, is now the chief press secretary to APC National chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
A committee which was earlier set up by the State Congress to investigate the alleged misappropriation of the said sum of N4.5 million indicted the defucnt exco.
Acting on a directives from the Union’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Osakue, the Edo NUJ chairman had formally pronounced the dissolution of the Chapel leadership at the last State Congress.
The Congress decision followed the recommendation of the Committee it set up to investigate allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office against the chapel leadership.
He also appointed Kelvin Okunzuwa (News Agency of Nigeria) and Sunny Ojieduma (City People Magazine) and Frank Odupute (the Nigerian Observer) as Chairman, Secretary and member respectively of a Credentials Committee with a mandate to conduct a fresh election for the chapel in two weeks.
The chapel has over 30 journalists drawn from the News Agency of Nigeria and other major national dailies and broadcasting organisations with headquarters outside Edo state.
About Author
