Benin City, Nigeria – There is tension and anxiety among media practitioners in Edo state over alleged plans by the state government to take over the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) situated along No 1 Igbinedion Way formerly known as Reservation Road in Benin City.
The Vanguard gathered that the land was donated to the NUJ by Oba Akenzua II while the main building was built by late Dr Samuel Ogbemudia as military governor of defunct Bendel State using the Okpella Cement Factory, a state-owned company then on a special arrangement that saw the company recouping its money and thereafter handed over the place to the Union.
Subsequent governments have supported the Union in various ways till date.
However, the Commissioner for Physical Planning, and Urban and Regional Development, Isoken Omo did not pick calls to her line, and she was yet to reply to sms and WhatsApp messages as at the time of filing this report.
Her Communication and Orientation counterpart, Chris Nehikhare has also not responded but he was quoted as saying that Obaseki’s government was working on moats’ right of way in Benin and its environs but declined comment on the NUJ’s land matter.
The State Government’s plot to take over the property was exposed when the Functioning Director of Lands, Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS), Mrs. Lydia Igbinigie, wrote to the Chairman of the Edo NUJ, Festus Alenkhe, on the land matter, while the Managing Director of EDOGIS, Mrs. Osaro Aihie, also called him on the same matter.
Alltimepost.com gathered Mrs. Lydia Igbinigie notified him of government’s interest in NUJ property in the letter, dated November 2, 2022 and asked for the survey plan of the property to be submitted to the state. The NUJ officials responded by forwarding the Survey plan of the union’s land to the government.
Following this development, the State NUJ Chairman, Mr. Festus Alenkhe called a meeting of all former union chairmen to discuss the issue in a letter, titled:
*MEETING WITH FORMER NUJ CHAIRMEN*
I write to invite you as a past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council to a crucial meeting with the leadership of the union.
Date: Thursday November 17, 2022
Venue: Conference Hall of the union’s Secretariat, No 1 Sir Gabriel Igbinedion Way, GRA, Benin City
Time: 1pm
Agenda: Threat To The Existence of Edo NUJ
Looking forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Signed:
Festus Alenkhe
(Chairman, Edo NUJ)
Following the meeting, they met with Edo State Secretary to Government (SSG), Barr. Osarodion Ogie who said he was not aware of the issue. Consequently, the union informed some of its members who began to write stories about the issue.
When Vanguard contacted, the President of NUJ, Chris Isiguzo, he said: “Please, ask Edo State Chairman of NUJ. I earlier told Festus Alenkhe what to do.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Edo State Council of the NUJ, Festus Alenkhe, who recently lost his mother, said the directive of the President would be strictly adhered to.
