joshuaBy Agbo Amauche, Abakaliki
The Correspondent of Daily Independent Newspapers in Ebonyi State Comrade Sampson Nwafor has been elected as the new Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state.
Nwafor was elected the new Chairman of the union during a bye-election to fill the vacuum created in the chairmanship position of the union following the appointment of its Chairman, Comrade Tony Nwizi as Senior Special Assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru on ICT.
The National Vice President, Zone C(South East) of the NUJ, Comrade Emmanuel Ifesinachi witnessed the bye-election and swore in Nwafor as the substantive Chairman of the state NUJ
Speaking shortly after the exercise, Ifesinachi commended members of the union for a hitch-free election and urged them to remain united, describing Ebonyi NUJ Council as the pride of South East.
Nwafor in his acceptance speech, promised to run all-inclusive administration. He solicited the cooperation of members of the council to move the council forward.
According to him“I want to tell us that we are on this journey together. This is a journey to better our welfare, this is the journey to be more united as a council. It is a journey for friendship, it is a journey that we must join hands together to ensure that we achieve success”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the immediate past Chairman of the council, Comrade Tony Nwizi has congratulated Nwafor
Nwizi said Nwafor’s emergence was a clear manifestation that power belongs to God.
“It is very unfortunate that out of sheer desperation, some recalcitrant few instigated non-members of our great Union to drag our hard-earned image into an unfounded controversy, but I thank God that we were all resolute and undeterred in our unanimous resolution to retain the Fourth Estate of the Realm in its envious position not only in Ebonyi State but also across Nigeria.
“I thank the NUJ Ebonyi State Council for maintaining the utmost decorum while the brouhaha lasted.
“Even though the tongue-lash only existed in a sponsored WhatsApp platform, let us find a place in our hearts to forgive all those who have cast aspersions on us, they are not Members of NUJ and therefore have limited knowledge on the workings of our great Union.
“Our constitution is the grand norm that drives the affairs of our Union and we could not have cast stones on our own glass house. I, therefore, charge you to use your good offices to review all that has happened in recent times as it concerns our Union in Ebonyi State vis-a-vis the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.
“I as the immediate past Chairman of the Council, am going to make my report available to the National Secretariat”, he stated.
In his own congratulatory, message Acting Chairman of Correspondent Chapel, Uchenna Inya described Nwafor as a unionist who has led some unions including the chapel as Secretary and Chairman to success and expressed the hope that he will take Ebonyi NUJ to another level.
He urged members to support him to succeed as one of their own.
