PRESS RELEASE
THAT SHAMELESS AND RECKLESS ASSAULT ON IMO NUJ SECRETARIAT BY GREATER IMO INITIATIVE (GII): ANOTHER FAILED ATTEMPT BY LAND GRABBERS TO ACHIEVE WHAT THE COURT DENIED THEM
It is both outrageous and incomprehensible that a questionable gang of hustlers bearing the caricature name Greater Imo Initiative (GII) would decide to dance naked along Douglas Road, exposing itself as a body lacking in both substance and credibility.
In a fact-deficient press conference riddled with sickening distortions and fallacious assumptions addressed by one Hon. Ethelbert Nnanna, who took the spotlight to confirm what was hitherto mere speculations - that he is indeed a failed politician and social misfit — the GII recklessly averred that the secretariat of the Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was attacked by thugs, resulting in injuries and vandalism. These are blatant, satanic falsehoods, wholly fabricated by Ethelbert Nnanna's handlers led by the Imo Commissioner for Information, Mr. Declan Emeluumba.
The last time any semblance of misunderstanding was experienced at the NUJ secretariat was last year when thugs loyal to Emeluumba and led by Mr. Ifeanyi Nwanguma (Emeluumba's NUJ chairman) invaded the NUJ secretariat in a bid to vandalized the unions properties before completing their illegal sale of the union secretariat.
Unfortunately for them, genuine journalists resisted and stopped them and the court sealed their faith by criminalising any plot to sell the NUJ secretariat, a legacy property.
Ethelbert Nnanna through the fatuous GII allowed children, young enough to be his political proteges, to drag him by the balls into the Market Square and set him up for the worst political misadventure of his washed up career when he falsely and drunkenly claimed that our revered and legitimate NUJ Secretariat was “voluntarily handed over to the Imo State Government after being given a befitting new complex.”
And the question is: At what point did Governor Hope Uzodimma donate a new secretariat to Imo NUJ?
If Nnanna meant ex-governor Rochas Okorocha, then he needs to explain at which point or forum, a trade by barter agreement was reached with the Imo state Government under Okorocha.
Imagine donating a 3-plot property to takeover our 6-plot complex!
All we have seen have been desperate efforts by shady individuals hiding under the government and dropping the name of Governor Uzodimma in their personal bid to grab and sell the NUJ secretariat.
Governor Hope Uzodimma is not known for property speculation, so why would he start with the NUJ secretariat if not that some hideous and selfish characters are seeking to use the paraphernalia of government to grab a choice property, regardless of the moral backlash on Government and Governor of the state.
For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did the executive or members of Imo NUJ hand over our Secretariat — which remains the best in the South East and one of the most prestigious in Nigeria — to the Imo State Government.
The facts are clear: a criminal cabal within our midst, acting without the consent of the body of journalists in Imo state, attempted to illegally sell our complex because they have a few friends in government.
The congress of the Imo NUJ rejected this illegality, and a court of competent jurisdiction nullified the fraudulent sale. The court further voided all related actions, including the imposition that brought in Christopher Akaraonye and sunsequently Mr. Ifeanyi Nwanguma. All their actions, the court ruled, were orchestrated in illegality and therefore rendered null and void.
Frustrated by the failure of their illegal actions, these morally-challenged individuals, now congregating with rehabilitation-seeking politicians under the banner of GII, have resorted to blackmail and lies; creating mendacious Nollywood scenarios just to undermine the legitimacy of our secretariat, assaulting the integrity of competent judicial pronouncements, while desperately attempting to drag our noble institution through the mud.
Their call for the government to take over our Secretariat gave them away! It affirmed their grand plan, which they had harboured for upwards of 7 years now.
What they could not get legitimately through the process of law, they now seek to emotionally manipulate Governor Hope Uzodimma into the impunituous overreach of taking over a property lawfully owned by Imo journalists!
The call is not just idiotic, but also shows how far the conspirators plotting to illegally sell the NUJ secretariat in the last seven years, are willing to go, just to bag the ₦400 million they have agreed with their unfortunate buyer.
The Imo NUJ secretariat, Port Harcourt road, is not for sale, not even to the highest bidder!
Our Secretariat is also, not a criminal den, contrary to the wicked assertions of the foul-minded Ethelbert Nnanna!
It is a case of "the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob"!
Land-grabbers who saw opportunity in a government-funded press conference, infused their personal project of capturing the NUJ property into a conference text that was only supposed to douse the political questions of accountability being asked by some opposition politicians named in the press conference.
Talk about using one stone to kill two birds!
Referring to our secretariat as the “old NUJ Secretariat” is a display of ignorance tending towards putrid mischief.
Such statements are not only obsolete or overused, but utterly absurd!
We therefore call on His Excellency, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, to completely ignore the manipulative and destructive antics of this mixed multitude of corrupt bedfellows and their misguided catcalls over our legacy Imo NUJ Secretariat located at Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.
We represent the authentic professional body of journalists in Imo State, comprising correspondents of major national dailies and the vast majority of Imo-based journalists and publishers.
Our vision is to uphold the highest ethical standard in journalism, and our mission is to promote truth, justice, fairness, and the rule of law.
We commend good governance when it is practiced and speak out when wrong is done. That is our professional creed.
Ultimately, we are committed to the growth and development of Imo State and Nigeria as a whole.
It is also important to point out categorically that this premeditated onslaught on the NUJ Secretariat is the brainchild of the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Declan Emeluumba who, despite being a former journalist and legislator, is now hell-bent on destroying journalism practice in Imo state.
He is known to promote anti-media activities and support fake, unqualified individuals masquerading as journalists, all to undermine mainstream professionals.
We urge Governor Uzodimma to be wary of the divisive antics of Mr. Declan Emeluumba, whose actions continually project the current administration in very bad light.
Signed:
Comrade Precioue Nwadike
Chairman
Comrade Austin Agwulonu
Head of Press Center management Committee
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