By Samuel Ogude(Warri)
Following the high rate of rapes, domestic violence and defilement of women among other crimes in the state, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council has condemned these acts in strong terms and therefore called on the law enforcement agencies to arrest and bring to book the perpetrators of these crimes.
In Communiqué issued at the end of the Congress of NUJ held at Press Centre, Asaba, the state capital on Wednesday April 5, and signed by Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, Chairman, the Delta State Council and Comrade Patrick Ochei, Secretary, said among other things, it is bad for the occurrence of these heinous crimes saying, persons involved should not go unpunished.
The body commended the His Excellency, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa for the robust relationship with the State Council of the NUJ and his media managers just as it expressed gratitude for the Governor to have granted the request of the Union to formalize the appointment of over sixty –five (65) workers of DBS Asaba and just appealed for the extension of the same gesture for their counterparts in DBS Warri and The Pointer Newspapers. Part of the communiqué reads:”
:”Congress- In- Session commends His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, CON, for his robust relationship with State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and by extension, his media managers…Congress- In- Session specially thanks the Governor for harkening to the request made by the Union to formalize the appointment of over sixty five(65) workers in DBS..”
The Communiqué further stated that the Congress- In- Session took strong exception to the unwarranted attacks on Comrade Michael Ikeogwu’s leadership of the State Council by members of Delta Online Publishers’ Forum(DOPF) saying, DOPF is not a chapel under Delta State NUJ neither it is an affiliate of the Union and therefore has no power to challenge the decisions of the leadership as Article 3 subsection 3 (D) of the NUJ clearly spelt it out.
The body therefore expressed confidence in the manner in which the State Working Committee (SWC) has managed the affairs of the Union. The statement said in apparent display of acceptability of the SWC working relationship with members, the body therefore ratified the vote of confidence passed by SEC-in- session on the Comrade Michael Ikeogwu- led administration.
The Council used the opportunity to commend journalists for adhering to the ethics of the professions before, during and after the just concluded 2023 general elections. The body has approved April 2023 for membership’s verification exercise across all chapels in the state with a view to sanitizing the union. The body however observed a minute of silence, condoled with the family of late Comrade Ken Okoturo, an investor at the Delta NUJ Press Centre, over his unfortunate demise after a brief illness on Apri1 2023.