The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has approved the suspension of eight members of its Ogun State Council, including a former chairman, for violating provisions of its constitution.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the NEC meeting, which found that the affected members instituted legal action against the union without exhausting internal dispute resolution mechanisms, contrary to Article 7 (5d) of the NUJ Constitution.
Those suspended are Wole Shokunbi, a two-time Secretary and former Chairman of the Ogun State Council; Folake Ade-Adeniji, former Deputy President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists; Razak Ayinla, former Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman; Modupe Salabiu, former Treasurer of the Ministry of Information Chapel; Joke Adeleye, former Assistant Secretary of NAWOJ; Kunle Ibukunle, former Financial Secretary of OGTV Chapel; Seun Odunlami, former Treasurer of the Federated Chapel; and Sekinat Salam-Opebiyi, the embattled Ogun State Coordinator of NAWOJ. The NEC directed all the suspended members to stay clear of union activities pending further directives.
In a related development, NEC approved the reinstatement of the Delta State Council Secretary, Mr. Victor Soroku, after adopting the report of a fact-finding committee that investigated a petition against him. The Council also approved the conduct of a bye-election for the office of Secretary in the Kano State Council, citing the need to resolve a lingering leadership crisis and ensure smooth administration of the council’s affairs.
Reaffirming its authority on disciplinary matters, NEC stressed that no state council or chapel has the power to suspend any member without recourse to the national body. It also addressed broader institutional concerns, passing a vote of confidence in the Director-General of the Department of State Services for improved relations with the media, while urging the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to emulate the agency’s approach.
The Council further approved plans to introduce a health insurance scheme for journalists and their families and directed all state councils and zones to conduct financial audits covering 2022 to 2026. It also ruled that no state council has the authority to carry out membership revalidation without approval from the National Secretariat, ordering the Delta State Council to reverse its ongoing exercise.
Other resolutions include the approval of key committees to strengthen the union’s operations and a call on the Federal Government to urgently address the persistent poor power supply across the country. The communiqué was signed by the NUJ National Secretary, Achike Chude, on behalf of the union’s leadership.
