[dropcap]B[/dropcap]enin City, Nigeria – Ongoing controversy over the N5million parting gift ex-governor Adams Oshiomhole allegedly gave to some loyal journalists was heightened at the weekend when Edo State Government allegedly moved against the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sir Roland Osakue, by redeploying him.
Alltimepost.com gathered that this latest move by the government is being seen as retaliatory as Osakue refused all overtures by the authorities to let the matter die and recall those involved from suspension.
Nine journalists and members of the state correspondents Association were recently suspended when it was alleged that the N5m ex-governor Oshiomhole gave them was supposed to be for the umbrella professional body, the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Osakue, a reporter with the Edo state-owned Nigerian Observer newspaper in Benin City, was at the weekend redeployed to Production duties desk, allegedly on the orders of the State Information Commissioner, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu.
Indications are that Mr. Paul Ohonbamu whose office supervises the newspapers was pressured by the office of the Secretary to the State Government to act, as the Governor, who was said to have been seriously embarrassed by the controversy is in faraway Malaysia.
The move is seen by observers as part of measures to pressure Osakue into reversing the NUJ Congress decision against the 9 suspended members, including the NUJ Secretary, Mr. Aliu Ozioruva, a freelance journalist with The Guardian, who got impeached as a result of the scandal.
Those suspended indefinitely by the Edo state Council of the NUJ Congress for sharing the N5million which they claimed was given to them by the ex-governor in their personal capacities to buy working
tools, are Adekunbi Ero, TELL; Anthony Osauzo, The Sun; Otabor Osagie Friday, The Nation and Adobe Augustine of This Day.
Others, who were also suspended by the Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ where they were officials, are Ehis Igbaugba of the News Agency of Nigeria; Patrick Ochoga of Leadership; Cajetan Mmuta of New
Telegraph and Egbebulem Simon of Vanguard.
The State government’s action is coming days after Chief of Staff to Governor Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele visited the NUJ Press Centre in the state capital and pleaded in vain with the journalists to sheathe their swords and forgive the Nine.
Akerele’s visit was followed with a stinker of a letter from one Victor Oshioke, claiming to be a media aide to the ex-governor in which he declared that the N5million was part of state funds given to the
Nine in their personal capacities, something the union cannot believe.
Oshioke’s letter had barely gone to rest when the Deputy Governor of Edo state, Mr. Phillipe Shaiuabu, short of promising to give the Union the N5million, attempted to brow beat some NUJ executive members into reversing the decisions of Congress.
Shaiuabu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Musa, at a meeting in his office thereafter tried to force Edo state Council of the NUJ and executive members of the Correspondents Chapel, into committing hara-kiri after he asked them to reverse their decisions in favor of the Nine.
It was the turn of the State Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Mr. Emmanuel Usoh, before jetting out to Malaysia to join the governor to meet, and in vain, convince the Edo state Council of the NUJ and executive members of the Correspondents Chapel, as well.
With these methods failing to yield any result the government through the ex-governor Oshiomhole, as a former labor leader was said to have reached out to the National Secretariat of the NUJ to intervene in the matter.
Acting on a petition from the Nine, alleging unfair treatment and lack of due process the National Secretariat of the NUJ advised the Edo State Council of the union to allow the suspended members appear before the union’s Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.
The committee began sitting last week even as the Nine vowed not to appear. As it were, the impeached union secretary had testified on the floor of Congress on the matter along with Adobe and Ochoga, before their suspension.
Meanwhile as the union’s Ethics and Disciplinary Committee sits to prepare a report which will be presented to the Congress to debate and act on, the Correspondents Chapel has concluded plans to conduct a fresh Election for a new Executive.
Also some NUJ members are said to have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), located a stone throw from the NUJ Press Centre in Benin City, alleging “criminal conspiracy,” by the nine suspended journalists to convert state funds into personal use.”
The EFCC will have to determine and establish if there is a crime involved with the ex-governor approving state funds for the personal benefit of journalists as his media aide claimed in a letter to the
National Secretariat of the NUJ, Abuja.
As at press time the office of Edo State Commissioner for information and the state chairman of the NUJ could not be reached for comments.
