News

Controversy Trails Edo NAWOJ As Majority Members Boycott New Executive Inuaguration

Published

3 years ago

December 3, 2019

Editor

… Slaughters Qualification On Alter Of Attendance

New executives to pilot the affairs of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Edo State Chapter, for the next three years were inuagurated with majority of the members boycotting the inuaguration.

The inuaguration boycotted by the immediate past chairperson of Edo NAWOJ, Mrs. Flora Bossey, the present vice chairman of Edo Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mrs. Imelda Osayande, the present Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel, Edo NUJ, Mrs. Nafishetu Yakubu and other key stakeholders of the Association, was apparently without election.

Earlier, in a hitted debate yesterday, some of the aggrieved members partucularly those disqualified had called on chairman of the NUJ in Edo State, Sir Roland Osakue, to intervene on the impasse in the Association particularly disqualification of contestants on the ground of not meeting congress attendant requirement, adding that the registers presented were incomplete, photocopied.

The NUJ chairman, however, said NAWOJ issue was not in his purview, adding that the body has national body that decide for it hence all complaints should be channelled to the national body.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier before the inuaguration, chairman of the caretaker committee/credentials Mrs. Peace Ifidon accused the aggrieved members of deliberately stealing the hardcover note wherein a comprehensive congresses attendant was.

She said some person were hell-bent in frustrating her committee to make sure the committee fails but all their attempt were brought to naught.

She emphasised that the committee basically and strictly worked with the constitution of the NUJ hence those disqualified by the committee did not meet requirement regarding congress attendant as required by the constitution.

In her speech, the new chairman, Edo NAWOJ, Mrs. Adesuwa Ehimuan, assured women journalists in the state of running an open an inclusive administration.

She promised to set up a reconcilation committee to making sure that all aggrieved members come back so there will unity in the Association.

Recall that Info Daily had reported some days ago that some aggrieved members protested and alleged that there were plans to disqualified some contestants on ground of attendance, stressing that the registers were being manipulated and photocopied.

Speaking through Joy Musa, they alleged the attendant rigister being emphasised as cretaria for contesting the election was not complete, saying photocopy was presented rather than the original copy which according to them is more reliable and authentic.

She said most of the congresses held in the past dispensation were on ground of emergency, and that members were informed less than 24 hours, stressing that the immediate past secretary then failed to perform her duty.

The aggrieved members then accused NAWOJ/NUJ of compromising educational qualification by allowing some educational unqualified contestants.

“We say no to injustice! Apart from that, one of the contestants in the forthcoming election does not have result, she only presented NECO certificate. When she wanted to contest three years ago, she went to bring IIJ admission letter, she contested, now after three years, she want to contest so she went to Open University to bring admission letter from there, another admission letter, and you want to tell me she is qualified?

She never wrote a single exam at IIJ. Now, we have heard that she has written petition to Abuja that she has written all her exams and that she is waiting for her result and convocation, is that allowed in anywhere? Illegality will not be allowed in Edo NAWOJ. If that is allowed, I can go to Emaguero college to bring primary 5 pupil to contest the secretary position of Edo NAWOJ.

“We don’t want someone who does not have first degree, ND, HND but ‘certificate less’ to come and lead us in Edo NAWOJ. We will not allow it; it is an abberation. Manipulation of attendance to suit certain persons will not be allowed in this election. Somebody who do not have result, coming from the back door to contest election will not be allowed. What is right should be done by the NUJ, we are seeking for justice, she requested”, she said.

Info Daily has been keenly monitoring the crises and can authoritatively report that, when the list of contestants was first pasted on the notice board of the NUJ by the then Imelda Osayande led credentials committee earlier, some contestants were pasted with the maximum qualification of NECO accompanied by admission letters of International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) and National Open University of Nigeria.

Imelda committee was dissolved and since then it has been ‘past and remove’ of contestants list on the notice board severally.

Out of the numerous lists pasted, Info Daily observed that at list two carried some contestants having maximum qualification of SSCE before such was expunged and a list carrying IIJ, Abuja was pasted.

The question, however, some of the Union members are asking is, where was the IIJ result when such contestants presented NECO or WAEC as their maximum qualification?

Another question begging for answer is, was it within the few months the crises lingered that such persons went to the school in question and acquired such result?

News

Ex-CAN President Onaiyekan, Cleric Bag Honorary Degrees

Published

6 hours ago

December 2, 2022

Editor

A former national president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and the Archbishop of Abuja catholic diocese, Ignatius Kaigama, will be honored with honorary doctorate degrees by an Abuja-based Catholic institution, Veritas University, on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Rev. Fr. Professor Hyacinth Ichoku, made this known in a briefing with selected journalists in Abuja.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the convocation ceremony of the university, the don also noted that four countries had indicated interest to send their students to Nigeria to study pontifical degrees in the theology of philosophy.

The development follows approval by the Congregation for Catholic Education in the Vertical City Rome, Italy, to Veritas University Abuja to establish Pontifical Faculty.

The countries are Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast and India.

Professor Ichoku said only two countries including Nigeria and Nairobi run the pontifical degree which necessitated the influx of foreign students to Nigeria.

“For the first time, the university will be honoring prominent Nigerians such as the former CAN president, cardinal John Onaiyekan and the archbishop of Abuja diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama.

‘’Veritas University has been granted the faculty to run Pontification degrees in theology and philosophy by the Congregation of Catholic Education in the Vertical City, Rome. That is in addition to National Universities Commission-approved programmes in theology and philosophy. As a Catholic University to be granted the power of the faculty to run these programmes is the height of our development and in Africa; there are just two granted such faculty, which are, the Catholic University of East Africa, Nairobi and Veritas University in Abuja. It is an exceptional privilege for us,’’ Professor Ichoku stated.

Professor Ichoku said the university would be awarding first-class degrees to 28 students who had distinguished themselves in character and learning.

He noted that the minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola would be delivering the convocation lecture.

News

NACCIMA, Nigeria’s Road To Prosperity – SDP Presidential Candidate, Adebayo

Published

16 hours ago

December 1, 2022

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said that the road to prosperity in Nigeria is through The Nigeria Association of Chambers and Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

Adebayo who spoke at the 4th quarterly meeting of NACCIMA in Enugu assured that the SDP, if elected into power, would not be a lawbreaker government but a law abiding.

He added that one of the difficulties facing the industry is that government does not respect contracts.

He posited that times have changed because in the past before government presents the country’s budget, captains of industries are always consulted, and the government doesn’t take decisions without considering the effects.

Adebayo driving his point and acknowledging the importance of NACCIMA said ‘In the past when you see presidential candidate, governorship candidate, senatorial candidate, you in NACCIMA will say he’s my boy, he use to work for me, he’s a good boy.

He added that Nigeria must return to such lifestyle, because the road to prosperity in Nigeria is through NACCIMA.

News

True Federalism: Expert Wants NULGE Join CSOs, Others For Constitutional Amendment

Published

21 hours ago

December 1, 2022

Editor

Professor Festus Imuetinyan, federal Commissioner, Federal Character Commission, Abuja has called on the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to join hands with other unions and civil society organizations working for the amendment of the nation’s constitution to make the constitution truly federal.

Imuetinyan made the call on Wednesday in Benin City at the Edo State chapter of NULGE 2022 week celebration with the theme,”Sustaining an autonomous local government as a catalyst for national development: The role of NULGE”.

The university don opined that local governments will only become catalyst for national development when they are put in firm control over local affairs as well as encourage the emergency of local solutions to local problems.

He advocated that the local government matters must be removed from the national constitution and placed within the purview of the states to save them from the challenge of forced uniformity in the face of endemic diversity of local problems.

He added that NULGE, as the major trade union in the local government system in Nigeria, has a duty to ensure that the present unified local government system which is unwieldy is jettisoned.

“Unfortunately, many local government staff are beneficiaries of the present system and do not see any urgent need for changes.

“Your members are the ones that are made sole administrators when elected council heads are illegally sacked by state governments. Many enjoy posting to areas that they are not conversant with the custom and tradition of the people whose problems they are called upon to solve.

“Others are promoted in the face of inadequate utilization of available resources to manage waste and protect public utilities within their jurisdictions.

“It is often alleged that many of your members extort money from members of the public and that they enrich themselves at the expense of the development of the communities”, he said.

He further opined that the present local government system is not patterned to achieve any developmental goal rather than a smooth vehicle for the transfer of centrally collected funds to the pockets of States’ political elites.

Imuetinyan emphasized that the 1999 Constitution makes it possible for state governments to cripple Local Government Councils financially by routing the amount of money standing to the credit of Local governments in the Federation Account (FA) through a joint State Local Government Account rather than directly to local councils.

He asserted that the arrangement adversely affects the fiscal autonomy and viability of most local governments.

According to him, some state governors make inexplicable deductions or unduly delay the release of funds from the joint accounts to local government chief executives.

“Local government chairmen are bullied by state governors to surrender much of their statutory allocations under duress. When they fail; they find other ways to replace them with caretaker committees of selected loyalists.

“Expenditure and project discretion had become a thing of the past. Most states expect their Local governments to seek and obtain permission to embark on projects. Local government projects are inspected periodically by officials of state governments.

“More financial load has been placed on Local governments’ share of the Federation Account. For example, funds for primary school teachers’ salaries and pension charges are now charged centrally to the Local governments.

“The central deductions at source of these charges and several other unfunded mandates in environmental and social spending by the State Governments tend to leave many Local Governments with little funds.

“And unfortunately, many Local governments especially those in the rural areas have limited access to productive tax bases”, he added.