The Vice President, North West Zone of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Yusuf Idris, has said that the continued silence of the National Executive Council, NEC over the alleged certificate forgery by the President of the union, Comrade Chris Isiguzu has given the NUJ, a bad image.
Even though the ICPC is still investigating the alleged certificate scandal, he said.
Comrade Yusuf Idris was reacting to the NEC recommendations on Ondo council of the union, removing the Zonal Vice President B Zone, Comrade Cosmos.
According to Yusuf Idris, the NEC members were still deceiving themselves that the certificate allegation involving NUJ President will just disappear into the thin air whereas, Nigerians are watching and waiting.
“Why are we not talking about the alleged certificate forgery of the President of the NUJ which has already given the Union a bad name and which the ICPC is still investigating .
“Honour and civilization means that if you are faced with such a situation, the moral thing to do is to step aside in order to allow the right thing to be done. “We still deceive ourselves that this alleged crime will just disappear like that? Nigerians are watching and waiting.
“Let’s think deeply before we loose what we are proud of because of the misdoing of some individuals
“Why are we moving from one court to another and loosing the cases with damages being awarded against the Union? Why can’t we, as a responsible body initiate such policies that would better the Union and our lot?” He asked.
On the issue of Zone B recommendations, Comrade Yusuf Idris explained that the Vice President zone B retired from service from a govt media establishment because of the demand of the civil service, which could be either by age or by years of service..
He did not retire from journalism practice as a journalist, by securing another employment with another media organisation.
“Even though he is under no obligation to display it on this platform, ( his obligation is only to the National Secretary as the Chief Administrator of the Union for his information and necessary action) but he displayed his letter of retirement and subsequently displayed his letter of another employment somewhere. Now, we are talking of the VP belonging to a Chapel not recognized by Oyo council as if NUJ belongs to a few people”
“Gentlemen, I seriously think we should have a rethink towards doing the right thing always. Honour and civilization means that if you are faced with such a situation, the moral thing to do is to step aside in order to allow the right thing to be done.
He said it was most unfortunate that situations like this are happening in a union.
“One is forced to ask; why are we desperate and for what? Why are such crises being instigated from one council to the other?”
“We lost the case in Ogun where the court overturned the dissolution of the Amosun led exco. We lost the case against Waheed, Petrus, and Chibota where the court ruled that their suspension did not follow due process and it awarded damages of N5 million against the Union”
” We are in court in Oyo where Faniran is challenging the election of Ademola. Why are these crises?
NUJ is a highly responsible Union and must be seen as such.”.
“We have a constitution that guides our actions as members (even though it needed updating as rightly pointed out by my colleague Chairman from FCT, which should have been our focus) but unfortunately, the constitution is pushed to the background and overtaken by selfish interests , hence our misfortunes, he concludes.
