The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council has given the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State, Mr. Uchenna Orji 48 hours to retract with apology a statement allegedly published by him in an attempt to smear the image of the Chapel, its leadership and confuse the general public.
A statement by the Secretary of the Chapel, Comrade Nwafor Samson in Abakaliki on Friday admitted that there was a meeting between the Chapel and the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr. Uchenna Orji on Thursday 23rd April, 2020 on possible means of resolving the ‘life ban’ imposed on two of their members by the state governor.
The statement noted that the meeting was held at the instance of the Commissioner to appease members of the Chapel even as it denied any joint press briefing at the end of the meeting between the Correspondents’ Chapel and the Commissioner.
It added that the purported joint press briefing where the Chairman of the Chapel, Mr. Jacob Ogodo, was quoted to have eulogized Governor David Umahi for arresting their members was a ruse and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Chapel, its leadership and confuse the general public.
It went on to say that rather than focusing on the issues raised, especially as it concerned lifting of the ‘life ban’ on two of their members; Mr. Chijioke Agwu of The Sun Newspaper and Mr. Peter Okutu of Vanguard Newspaper, and ways to ensure that the lives of Journalists operating in the State were guaranteed, the Commissioner embarked on pernicious propaganda to save his job and drag members of the Chapel to the mud.
“We make bold to state that this is an act of betrayal and wish to demand that the Commissioner retracts the statement with apologies within 48hours.
“We equally condemn the illegal arrest, intimidation, harassment and ‘life ban’ imposed on two of our members, The Sun and the Vanguard Correspondents, and the inciteful statement against Journalists in the State.
“We commend the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), International Press Council (IPC), Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP), Civil Liberty Organisations (CLOs), and host of other non-state actors for standing by Journalists in Ebonyi State in this trying moment and wish to assure them of our commitment to protect the spirit and letter of our noble profession as enshrined in section 22 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended”, the statement said.
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