Tom Moses
9 November 2009
Cross River State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) after an emergency meeting held at the Ernest Bassey Press Center, Calabar, the state capital, expressed absolute confidence in the constitution of the union and faith in the leadership of the council elected into office on August 13, 2009.
The State Chairman, Mr. Emma Akpong particularly condemned the actions of the National Deputy President of the Union, Mr. Rotimi Obamuwagun alleging that the purported annulment of the said elections was a function of alleged financial inducement by some key aides of the state government.
"Rotimi acted the scripts of his pay masters, when he surreptitiously entered the state council in company of four others and in a meeting with journalists, brazenly made a pronouncement to the effect that a duly conducted, free, fair and conclusive elections of the state council has been canceled and the executive dissolved," he alleged.
"This declaration which remains verbal till date has no backing of the national secretariat and above all, is unconstitutional and cannot stand.
"For the avoidance of doubts, no national officer of the union has such rights, which is only vested constitutionally in the state congress through a vote of no confidence in an erring executive. The present executive having been popularly elected enjoys the confidence of the state congress and has held three successive monthly congresses", the Chairman maintained.
He said the National Deputy President of NUJ, Obamuwagun in further acts of unconstitutionality and a show of desperation, directed verbally that elections be conducted in Cross River State Council in two weeks by a five man committee.
According to the Cross River State NUJ chairman, the duly elected executive officers of the state council would defend the mandate given overwhelmingly to them by journalists in Cross River State.
"Enough is enough for the people in Cross River State to be taken for granted! On August 13, we stand! There can be no other elections in Cross River State Council of NUJ until August 2012," Mr. Akpong said.
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