NEC suspension: Kwara NUJ members give chairman 7-day ultimatum to apologise or face constitutional action
The crisis rocking the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kwara State Council, has deepened, as some members have given the council chairman, Abdulateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, seven days to publicly apologise over allegations that he misled the union’s National Executive Council into suspending three members.
The members warned that failure by Ahmed to tender the apology within the stipulated period could trigger the invocation of appropriate constitutional measures against him.
The demand was contained in a joint appeal addressed to the National President of the NUJ following the suspension of Dare Akogun of Sobi FM, Mosunmola Ayobami of the Correspondents’ Chapel and Usman Adamu Sabi of the Information Chapel by the union’s NEC.
The NEC, at its meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State, on August 11, approved the suspension of the three Kwara journalists, alongside two members from the Cross River State Council, over alleged anti-union activities.
The latest development is coming against the backdrop of months of disagreement within the Kwara State Council, particularly over the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel.
In March, the Correspondents’ Chapel announced the suspension of its relationship with the state council and said it would boycott the council’s press conferences and media-related activities, citing the council’s refusal to recognise its elected leadership.
The concerned members alleged that the actions of the council chairman and some of his associates had contributed significantly to the crisis and divisions within the state council and its various chapels.
They called on Ahmed to publicly apologise to the state council, its members and all persons they alleged had been defamed by him during the dispute.
The members said the seven-day ultimatum was one of the resolutions reached after extensive deliberations on the NEC’s decision and the circumstances surrounding the suspension of the three journalists.
They also demanded a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the allegations against the suspended journalists, insisting that implementation of the NEC’s decision should be suspended pending the outcome of such an investigation.
The members said, “We call on the chairman of the Kwara State Council, Abdulateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, to publicly apologise to the council, its members and all persons defamed by him in the course of this dispute within seven days.”
They warned that failure to comply with the demand within the stipulated period would leave them with no option but to invoke the appropriate constitutional measures against him.
At the centre of the dispute is a court case involving the Kwara NUJ, which the members alleged had been wrongly attributed to the three suspended journalists.
According to them, the suit was instituted by Fadeyi Babajide of the Federal Information Chapel and the late Saka Laaro of the Correspondents’ Chapel, rather than Akogun, Ayobami and Sabi.
The members therefore questioned why the three suspended journalists should face disciplinary action over a court case they claimed they did not institute.
They said, “It is difficult to understand why members who did not institute the suit should be subjected to disciplinary measures over the matter.”
The members also questioned whether the affected journalists were invited, confronted with the allegations and given adequate opportunity to defend themselves before the NEC reached its decision.
They further alleged that the state chairman’s handling of the matter contributed to the decision of the national leadership and called for an investigation into whether the relevant provisions of the NUJ Constitution were followed.
In particular, they urged the national leadership to examine compliance with Article 7(2)(vi)(a–d), which they said was relevant to the issues surrounding the disciplinary action.
The members said, “We call for a thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the allegations against the three suspended members and urge the NEC to review and suspend the implementation of the decision pending the outcome of the investigation.”
They argued that the dispute should not be allowed to further polarise the union, stressing that the NUJ must uphold within its ranks the same principles of justice, fairness, accountability and due process which journalists advocate in wider society.
The members also appealed to the NUJ National President and NEC to immediately reverse the suspension of Akogun, Ayobami and Sabi pending the conclusion of an impartial investigation.
They said, “The NUJ must demonstrate within its own ranks the principles of justice, fairness, accountability and due process that it advocates in the wider society.”
The members, however, expressed their commitment to working collectively towards restoring unity, peace and mutual respect within the Kwara State Council.
They said they remained confident in the ability of the national leadership to handle the matter fairly, objectively and without prejudice.
The members urged the national leadership to act urgently, warning that continued escalation of the dispute could further undermine the unity, credibility and integrity of the NUJ in Kwara State.
