By David Akinadewo
So, September came and nothing was heard directly from the foot-soldiers of the chairman, except the well planned attacks unleashed on their opponents’ supporters on the Ondo NUJ Platform on WhatsApp and people they felt were too strong for them to cajole. They also embraced deliberate distortion of facts, concocted lies and name callings, all in a bid to guarantee a second term for their candidate, simply because they hold the axe.
As the month rolled in, the first unpalatable news we heard was that the incumbent, James Sowole, seeking reelection had petitioned the NUJECO against the other three aspirants contesting against him.
He asked the committee to disqualify the trio of Tony Adetoye (State Information Chapel), Ebenezer Adeniyan (Federated Chapel) and Olumide Abudu (FRCN Positive FM Chapel).
The Chairman and Secretary of the Credentials Committee, Layo Babade and Kayode Animasahun respectively, with other members of the committee acted accordingly, as they neither availed the aspirants copies of the petition nor allowed them to set eyes on it even while they were being asked questions from its content during their screening.
Then the committee came up with its report disqualifying the aspirants as requested by the incumbent on September 15. It was based on this development that some stakeholders in the Ondo NUJ decided to come together and review the situation; the conclusion was that there must be contest and therefore the disqualified aspirants should protest to the National Secretariat in Abuja and demand that they should be given a clean bill to contest. Anyone who wins the election becomes our chairman for the next three years.
Reasons given by the committee to arrive at their decision was that Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan is a publisher and so cannot stand for election, while Messrs Tony Adetoye and Olumide Abudu didn’t resign their positions as chapel chairmen before signifying their intentions to contest the state election. Another point about Abudu was that he hasn’t spend the mandatory seven years to be eligible to contest for a state office.
The duo of Adeniyan and Adetoye who were unjustly disqualified made case to Abuja for a review of their matter. Instead of treating the issues raised on merit, the National President, a kinsman of Mr Sowole, used his office to ensure that the men remained disqualified.
As if it was not enough that Mr Sowole and the state Secretary, Leke Adegbite handpicked the members of the credentials committee, in contrast with the constitution of the union, it is also on record that the duo accompanied Babade and Animasahun to the national secretariat in Abuja when the report of the committee was taken there by hand.
It was shocking to know that the national Secretary, Mr Shuaib Usman Leman supposedly acting on orders, without giving Adetoye and Adeniyan right to fair hearing, hurriedly upheld the decision of the credentials committee and disqualified them from contesting. The reason adduced for Adeniyan’s disqualification was however changed from the one presented by the committee, to non resignation from office as a national officer before standing for election at the state level. The final decision of the national secretariat dated September 22, was said to have been brought back by the same team that went to Abuja, leaving many questions unanswered.
According to Article 5(b) (7) of the NUJ constitution “A member holding elective office of the Union at the state level who chooses to contest a position at the national level shall first resign from the state office. Same shall apply to holders of positions in chapels opting to contest state council offices.” This portion of the constitution was quoted as the basis for disqualifying Mr Adetoye, though that’s a matter for the law court to determine now, but in the case of Mr Adeniyan which the national Secretary also relied on, it was a ruse. The fact remains that the constitution never envisaged that a national officer would come down to contest at the state level, so it was a lacuna.
But because the script was that nobody must contest against Mr Sowole, the system cleared the road for him, relying on Article 5(c) (7) of the constitution “NEC shall have powers to interpret the constitution and to determine any question where the constitution may be silent”. But the fact remains that no NEC meeting was held before the decision was taken.
Another issue that led to agitation among stakeholders was the composition of the credentials committee which was dominated by people who are either not practicing journalists or not financially committed to the union. The constitution stated categorically in Article 3(1), (2)(a) and (3)(d) that “A person shall not be a member of the Union, except if registered by the National Secretariat of the Union on the recommendation of the state council. In addition to the provision in Article 3(1), a person to be so qualified shall also possess a minimum of Diploma and cognate experience in Journalism or Mass Communication obtained from a recognised institution, with a working experience of not less than 12 months in a recognised media establishment. To be registered as a professional journalist, a member would have satisfied the provisions of Article 3(1), and (2) of this constitution. In addition, each applicant shall be expected to complete an application form and swear to an oath of allegiance to the Constitution and Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct”. All these have been consistently murdered on the altar of union politics to the extent that during the 2014 election that brought Mr Sowole to office, rates officers were allegedly allowed to vote in the name of Local Government Chapel. What an embarrassment to our exalted union!
Another fundamental condition that was again breached by the Sowole Exco and by extension the credentials committee is contained in Article 4(1)(a), (b) and (2)(a) of the NUJ constitution which deals with finance. “A member of the Union shall pay two percent (2%) of his or her basic monthly salary through the check-off system which shall be deducted at source. Such a member shall in addition pay an annual practising fee of N2,000. The check-off /practicing fee of the Union shall be allocated as follows:- 1. Chapel – 20%. 2. State Council – 25%. 3. Zonal Office – 10%. 4. National Secretariat – 35%. 5. Nigeria Labour Congress – 10%. A member shall be disqualified from acting as a delegate or representative of a Chapel at any meeting of the Union or from benefiting from the Union in any other manner if his check-off and practicing fees have not been fully paid”. All these rules were broken by the majority in the state Exco, so it did not matter to them while handpicking members of the highly sensitive credentials committee.
Whereas the constitution says in Article 5(9) (c) and (d) that “The Credentials Committee shall act independently of the National President, National Secretary and any other National or State officer of the Union. Membership of the Credentials Committee shall be drawn from among members of the Union in good financial standing who have no intention to vie for offices in the said elections”. Unfortunately the reverse happened to be the case here as things were done with daring impunity.
It is worthy of note that even those aspiring to lead the union by all means are contravening the constitution by breaking it’s provisions consistently. None of them is a financial member of the union.
All these issues dragged on till the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent executive on the last day of October. The two aggrieved individuals had approached the court, but one eventually withdrew the case, citing pressure from highly placed people in the society.
Since what we eventually had was a stalemate and there shouldn’t be room for vacuum, representatives of the few Chapels that are financially responsible to the Ondo State Council called an emergency congress as dictated by the constitution in Article 5(D) (9)(c), “Where there is a stalemate in the elections at the National Delegates’ Conference, the state council chairmen and secretaries shall take over and run the affairs of the Union and conduct fresh elections within three months. Same shall apply in the case of a stalemate in the state council elections, where chapel chairmen and secretaries shall perform the same functions”.
In the Ondo council experience which could be said to be unpalatable, only four out of 11 chapels are committed to the council financially. So, following strictly the provisions of the constitution, representatives of three out of the four chapels namely; State Information, Owena Press and OSRC decided at the Congress of November 1, 2017 to constitute an Interim Management Committee that would pilot the affairs of the Union till sanity is brought back into the system and organise a fresh election that will be acceptable to all. I was appointed by the Congress as Chairman of the committee, Mr Sina Adeyeye (Secretary) and Mr Sunday Tonibor (Member).
About two hours after the Congress, we learnt there was a statement issued and signed by the former Chairman and Secretary, James Sowole and Leke Adegbite respectively, announcing the purported suspension of the three of us from the union for alleged breach of public peace. It came indeed as a joke of the century because they had seized to be in office since October 31 and there was no point joining issues with them.
Even if it was during their legitimate tenure that an offence was committed by any member or officer, the procedure for discipline is contained in Article 7 of the NUJ constitution. Section 3, subsection (C) (ii) says “Each State Executive Council shall have similar powers as (a) above provided the decision to suspend or dismiss any state officer from office is ratified by the state congress and such action shall immediately be communicated to the National Secretary”.
If not for the speed the story of our purported suspension was written by some colleagues we expected to know better, one would not have bothered to dignify those who were out to make mischief with a response. These journalists jettisoned the professional ethics and went public with a fraudulent story that could land them in trouble waters. What a shame!
Was it because they have been blindfolded by the bounty promised them for the usage of the story or they were unaware that it was against the ethics of the profession to write stories out of malice about their colleagues and even members of the public?
Some contents of the Code of Ethics read thus; “i. The public has a right to know. Factual, accurate balance and fair reporting is the ultimate objective of good journalism and the basis of earning public trust and confidence.
- A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. Where such information has been inadvertently published, prompt correction should be made. A journalist must hold the right of reply as a cardinal rule of practice.
iii. In the course of his duties a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment”.
How come they said we engaged in acts capable of causing breach of public peace and no report of confrontation? No disturbance of regular activities at the press centre? And no single arrest by the police? It’s most unfortunate that the union has sunk to a level that desperadoes have hijacked the system.
The impunity that the financiers of the union in Ondo State are contesting against is that of forceful enthronement of leaders that are not contributing to its purse but siphoning it. The total hijacking of the council by people whose media organisations doesn’t recognise the NUJ. Saddling people who are not practicing journalists with responsibilities meant for professionals. Deliberately subverting the constitution to pave way for stooges of the self-serving leaders who are bent on getting a second term through the backdoor, etc.
The consensus now is NO! To leadership by coercion, insincerity, divide and rule and double standard.
You must be committed financially to Ondo council before you can lead.
Their alibi has been that their monies are being remitted to the national secretariat by their head offices, but the constitution allocates 25% of every journalist’s check-off to the state council? If your money is not getting here, then you are not eligible to lead, because leadership must be by example.
Whereas a check at the national secretariat has revealed that no money is being paid by their head offices. No wonder it has been difficult for that leadership to make “their friends” whose head offices are here in Akure but are not paying to the coffers of the union to comply with the constitution!
I must state that none of us lobbied to be given the assignment to lead the union at this time and so, we are prepared to defend the mandate with all legitimate means under the law.
Anyway, since they have seen nothing wrong in going to the media with the sole aim of tarnishing the image of their colleagues, let the drummers intensify efforts on the beats, we shall see who will be the last man standing on stage.
Struggle continues.
