….As NUJ demands adequate security for media during Ekiti Guber polls.
The National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Mr Chris Iziguzo, has appealed to security agencies in the country to ensure the safe release of a kidnapped journalist, Mr Chucks Onuha, in Abia.
Iziguzo made the appeal at an event to celebrate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2022 on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event was organised by the National Senior Citizens Centre, headed by Dr Emem Omokaro.
“I just got information from Abia that one of our colleagues, Mr Chucks Onuha, formerly with The Sun Newspaper, has been kidnapped and the kidnappers are demanding N10 million ransom.
“I am sure that this is a journalist who does not have up to a hundred thousand naira in his bank account.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General, Department of State Service and the Commissioner of Police and Director of State Security in Abia to ensure the safe release of Onuha without delay.
“We are not going to continue to tolerate this, where our colleagues on slight comment, are picked like chickens,” Isiguzo said.
The NUJ President said that journalists are serving humanity, adding that they are not bourgeois and do not carry money around.
“I also want to appeal to the kidnappers to please release Onuha. Journalists should not be your target. Remove your searchlight on us. We are not your customers”.
Isiguzo, however, commended Omokaro for her efforts in addressing issues of older persons in the country and promised to support the centre in its endeavours to continue to enhance the livelihood of older persons.
Source: NAN
June 15, 2022.
ABIA NUJ APPEALS FOR THE QUICK RELEASE OF ONUOHA, UNHARMED
The Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has received with great shock, utter bewilderment and despondency, the unfortunate abduction of one of her members, Mr Chuks Onuoha, by gunmen.
Mr Onuoha, a former Abia State Correspondent of The Sun Newspapers, was kidnapped at his Umungasi Ohuhu family home in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State at about 10 p.m Tuesday night, (14/6/2022), according to family sources.
This ugly development has left the Council at a loss as to why kidnappers would pick on a poor journalist whose only wealth is the byline he gets in the media which has no attachment to any fat bank account.
Journalists are change agents who ensure that society functions with correct information to engender socio-economic development. Journalists are like people who bear enlarged scrotum but would eagerly prefer to labour with every amount of commitment to ensure that the pimple on the face of the man on the street is treated while enduring the excruciating pain of his enlarged scrotum.
The Council fears that Journalists are fast becoming endangered species in the state in the evolving trend as this is the third of such ugly story.
Assuming but without conceding that Mr Onuoha may have offended anyone in the course of discharging his journalistic functions, resorting to jungle justice or taking the law into one’s hands is never the way to go, it is an ignoble act in this age and era of civilization. The law courts are there. Or, better still, any person aggrieved by any perceived professional misconduct of a journalist is encouraged to report the journalist to the Union which would apply its constitutionally approved correctional method and measures in handling such issues.
We hereby passionately appeal to his abductors to quickly release him unharmed to enable him to reunite with his agonizing family.
We also call on all security agencies in the state to swiftly swing into action to secure the release of Mr Onuoha, even as the Council urges the government to deploy all its security apparatchik for the rescue of Mr. Onuoha and to institute water-tight security measures that would eradicate the menace of kidnapping which seems to resurging in the state.
We urge society to strive to create the environmental ambience capable of encouraging the journalist to practice his or her profession without let or hindrance. A society where journalists are not allowed to discharge their onerous responsibility of galvanizing society for socio-economic transformation and political advancement is doomed.
We must all rise up and change this ugly trend.
Signed:
Comrade Victor Ndukwe
Chairman NUJ Abia State Council
Comrade Adaeze Ralph Igbokwe
Secretary.
Ends/
Ekiti Guber: NUJ Seeks Adequate Security for Journalists
Urges Quacks to Steer Clear
The Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Ekiti State Council has called on authorities of various security agencies participating in the Saturday’s governorship election to provide adequate security for Journalists covering the exercise.
This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the chairman of the council, Comrade Rotimi Ojomoyela and the Secretary Comrade Kayode Babatuyi.
According to statistics by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over four hundred journalists from various media organizations across the country have been accredited to cover the election.
The NUJ leadership posited that journalists are critical stakeholders in the successful conduct of any election, hence they must be well protected and giving necessary cover in the case of any violence.
Comrade Ojomoyela and Comrade Babatuyi said the union envisaged a peaceful and rancour-free election but it is important to make the request in the case of any unforseen circumstance.
The Union leaders also appealed to security agents to give free access to journalists to perform their jobs and treat them with respect on the field as the union would not take lightly any case of harassment or assault of members.
While welcoming Journalists to the state and assuring them of necessary assistance, the union strictly warned quacks to stir clear as the Union’s task force would be on ground to hand them over to security agents.
Journalists are also advised to respect security agents and not to be confrontational in their approach.
Any journalist in distress can call 08034105542 or 08139588218
