A former Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Imo State Council, Comrade Ben Osuagwu has written to the State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and the Police Commissioner, CP Aboki Danjuma to stop the move by few individuals to sell the secretariat belonging to the council.
He made the appeal in a press statement drawing the attention of the Governor and the CP to the alleged attempt to sell out the only property belonging to the union, a move he described as an attempt to rob the union of its prestige in the State.
I, Ben Osuagwu, a former Chairman of the Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists – NUJ, call on the Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma and the Police Commissioner in Imo State to stop and intervene on the purported closure and wicked intention to sale the best NUJ Press Centre in Owerri by a gang of people,” he stated.
He pointed out that the Imo NUJ Press Centre was given to journalists in the State by a one time Military Governor of the State, Commodore Amadi Ikwechegh under his leadership as the chairman of the council with all official documents and titles handed over to him.
He wondered how some people will wake up after collecting money from some individuals with the promise that they will sell the Press Centre to them.
Osuagwu described such a move as absolutely outrageous, insulting to the sensibilities of not only journalists in the State, but across the country and their noble friends and Patrons.
The former Chairman stressed that anyone who wants to sell any Press Centre should go and sell the one in his State and leave out what he described as the only monument for journalists East of the Niger.
I wonder why people think that being elected into office makes them emperors that they will take unilateral decisions. The era of imperialism is over.
I humbly appeal to the State Governor and the Police Commissioner to stop the move by some criminally minded people.
The matter I learnt is in Court. They should allow the matter to end in the Court. Why hurry to go and lock up the Centre. If the money they allegedly collected from some people is choking them, they should look elsewhere and cough out the money and pay them back,” he stated.
