Ekiti NUJ Reschedules Election For Tomorrow ... No Going Back, Odusile

NUJ Boss, Odusile

All hands are now on deck to re-conduct tomorrow the botched  election of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State council as approved by the National Secretariat of the union.

This hint was dropped on  Tuesday by the Chairman of Committee of all Chapel Chairmen and Secretaries, Mr Sam Nwaoko during a chat with the Fountain Newsbreaker.

The Chairman said "we cannot continue to foot drag in giving our union credible officers to pilot the affairs of the union while we criticize others. Our failure to conduct the election on Friday 29 December will make the crisis split to next year which is unacceptable to the national Secretariat"

It will be recalled that the  cancellation of the election on October 15 led to the inauguration of a caretaker committee by the national Secretariat which was headed by Mr Amos Ogunrinde.

Some disgruntled elements in the union however inaugurated a parallel caretaker headed by one, Mr Adeola Babalola. But in order to bring peace to the union, the two groups were invited by the Department of State Services in conjunction with the Commissioner of Police where the matter was resolved in accordance with the provision of the union's constitution.

It was the resolution of the crisis by the security chieftains in the State that brought about the composition of the committee of Chairmen and Secretaries where Same Nwaoko of Correspondents' chapel and Niyi Alade of Progress FM emerged as Chairman and Secretaries respectively. This committee had since commenced its job with series of meetings both physically and online for the election to take place in earnest. A build up to tomorrow's election was the earlier submission of members' list by eight out of the nine chapels in the State while the Federal Information chapel promised to submit its own list on Wednesday December 27, 3017.

Also announcement of claims and objection was made on the union's platform before it was finally sent to Abuja leading to the ratification of the Friday election.

Fountain Newsbreaker however gathered that some disgruntled members of the union are bent on frustrating tomorrow's election again by calling for a congress before any election could be held in the state council. This group which is apparently in the minority is hinging its hope on the backing of the DSS meeting with them on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 but the National President, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, in a telephone chat with Fountain Newsbreaker, disclosed that "I've spoken with the SSS and made them understand that there is no going back on the election of Ekiti council come this Friday. Security Chiefs are fully aware of the election, so there is no problem about that"

Concerning security arrangements, the Chairman of the Committee of Chapel Chairmen & Secretaries said: "we've taken the necessary steps by submitting letters to the State Command of the Nigerian Police, DSS, Civil Defence and other appropriate security agencies. So, whosoever plans to disorganize the election this time around, will be doing so at his own risk" 

Fountain Newsbreaker also spoke with the National Vice President, Zone B, Comrade Cosmas Oni who said "we shall be in Ekiti to conduct the election on Friday and we promise to be fair to all parties". On the allegation that he was biased, Oni said: " we are used to phantom allegations during NUJ election. Don't forget that NUJ is a product of the larger society called Nigeria where people find excuses for their failures but that won't stop any focussed union like ours from performing its duties as stipulated by the constitution of our great union."