…journalists protest the imposition of the outgoing chairman’s cronies as Electoral Committee members.
DEBO ADEOYE-IBADAN.
A strong wind of absolute rejection filled the DAPO ADEROGBA HALL of the NIGERIAN UNION JOURNALISTS (NUJ) OYO STATE CHAPTER COUNCIL SECRETARIAT like a Tornado on Saturday 5 October 2019 when aggrieved Journalists during a Congress rose in defence of the Constitution against what they described as impunity and tyrannical behaviour exhibited by outgoing Chairman, ADEWUMI FANIRAN .
The Journalists stormed the venue of the Congress to protest the imposition of the outgoing Chairman’s cronies as Electoral Committee members for the forthcoming NUJ OYO STATE CHAPTER ELECTIONS.
As Sunrisetimes.com.ng reliably gathered, the outgoing Chairman, ADEWUMI FANIRAN had on Friday finalized all arrangement to inaugurate his cronies as ELECTORAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
Unfortunately for FANIRAN, some of his closest confidant betrayed him by revealing his plan to some Journalists who mobilized themselves and stormed the DAPO ADEROGBA HALL of the NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS venue of the congress.
Crisis began after ADEWUMI FANIRAN, the OYO NUJ Chairman, read out a list of a five-man Committee charged with the responsibilities of organizing the DECEMBER 2019 ELECTION of the State NUJ.
Meanwhile in his speech he claimed he had sleepless nights to arrive at what he presented to the congress.
The list had the Chairman of the OKE-OGUN FEDERATED CHAPEL, SEMIU AZEEZ as Chairman while his (FANIRAN CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR-GENERAL AND HIS SUBORDINATE IN FRCN), RIDWAN FASASI, was chosen as Secretary.
After reading the names FANIRAN requested response from the congress.
A member and former Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, MR. KEMI OLAITAN, who also is the Correspondent of THISDAY NEWSPAPERS in the State challenged the list and admonished the Chairman to live by his words by upholding the constitutional provisions in the spirit of Peace, Justice and Fairness.
OLAITAN was later backed by other journalists, including JEREMIAH OKE of DAILY TRUST; RAJI ADEBAYO of HERALD NEWSPAPERS, SWAN Oyo state Chapter Chairman, NIYI ALEBIOSU of the TRIBUNE; LEKAN SHOBOWALE of BCOS and a host of others asked the Chairman to step down the nominations of FASASI and the Chairman of Correspondence Chapel, OLA AJAYI of the VANGUARD, who they said would not be fair in discharging the duties expected of them “because of their partisanship and closeness to FANIRAN”
Besides over 90% of members of the CORRESPONDENCE CHAPEL that attended the congress called for OLA AJAYI’S removal. They based their arguments on Integrity, Competency, Fairness and leadership qualities, all these they said he lacks.
However the Chairman behaving like a COMMANDO, whose mission is to make a quick destructive raids on enemy-held areas ignored all issues raised by the Congress and insisted the list would not be changed.
He went ahead X-raying the qualities of the nominees.
FANIRAN’S decision forced ALEBIOSU to suggest a better democratic solution, he counselled FANIRAN to put the matter into motion and subsequent voting.
The Chairman at this stage began to reel out conditions for voting, calling for motions and this further polarised the congress as temper rose.
An attempt to deny some members from voting was trashed when FANIRAN saw anger like ‘a fierce storm battering the coast’ on the faces of members.
In counting those in favour of the committee to stand as constituted, 24 members voted in their support .
Sensing that the remaining members were in the majority, he ruled that the committee has been adopted.
Another observation was that Congress members did not reject the entire list but singled out some individuals on the list, hence they demanded voting should be based on individuals so as not to rubbish other members in the Committee but FANIRAN, like an hungry Lion who was not ready to let go a Prey that fell into its Den called the Committee members out for inauguration against the will of the Congress.
This angered the members as RAJI protested again and the visibly enraged Chairman called him “a bastard” and non-member of the Union.
This infuriated RAJI and the entire hall erupted into Chaos and Congress was deadlocked.
The attendance according to what they termed CONGRESSIONAL DECISION, was closed against 19 journalists who came late to the meeting.
About 61 members attended the Congress.
