…Says it remains apolitical, it shouldn’t be dragged into biased supportive politics…
…The public should therefore note that during the event at Lelewal Motel hosted by the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa (IGLSA NUJ was only invited as a critical stakeholder in the development of democracy and not as a group to add voice to the Governor Fintiri’s second bid endorsement drive…
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Adamawa State Council has denied that it has mortgaged its professional industrial status, conscience and critical thinking to join the politics of Governor Fintiri’s continuity endorsement, while carrying out its professional responsibility of news gathering and reporting.
The press release Tuesday, signed by the Chairman, Council’s Communique Committee, Comrade Padio Phineas revealed that the Council has observed with dismay that its revered neutral standing was drawn into partisanship during an endorsement event by a group they referred to themselves as the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa (IGLSA) in Adamawa state where NUJ was one only invited as a critical stakeholder in the development of democracy and not as a group to add voice to Governor Fintiri’s second bid endorsement.
Read below the full text of the communique:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY NUJ AFTER AN EMERGENCY MEETING TO PRESENT CLARIFICATION ON THE ENDORSEMENT OF ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNOR BY NUJ, OTHER GROUPS.
Arising from its emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Monday, March 7, 2023. The deliberation resolved as follows;
- That the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Adamawa State Council, being a professional industrial union and apolitical, has observed that it’s revered neutral standing was drawn into partisanship during an endorsement event by a group in Adamawa state.
- That ordinarily the NUJ should not have responded to a piece of news emanating from the event but for the sake of clarity.
- That during the said event, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state was said to have been endorsed by various groups, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other professional bodies.
- However, the NUJ, being the watchdog of the society was named and escalated as one of the professional bodies that purportedly joined the endorsement jamboree as promoted on some select social media platforms.
- While the NUJ holds no grudges against those who attempted to drag our non-partisan professional group into political partisanship, we however wish to state that by our constitutional mandate, we cannot be seen to be involved or taking sides with any political party, whatsoever.
- That the public should therefore note that the event at Lelewal Motel hosted by the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa (IGLSA invited the NUJ as a critical stakeholder in the development of democracy and not as a group to add voice to its endorsement drive.
- That NUJ therefore, wishes to inform the public to discountenance the error or misinformation contained in the outcome of the event.
Conclusively, the NUJ is calling on all political parties to carry out their voter drive with decorum and respect to the laws of the land. Accordingly, we pray for a peaceful conclusion of the 2023 general elections.
Signed:
Padio Phineas
Chairman Communique Committee.