Media Stakeholders Demand Amaechi’s Intervention In NUJ House Delay

The Chairman of Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Opaka Dokubo has accused the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (BoPP) of perpetuating the continued refugee status of the union.

The Chairman said the BoPP had ensured that approval for the construction of the proposed NUJ House was not given, more than a year after the demolition of the former structures, and about three years after the de-roofing of the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre Complex by a devastating windstorm.

The NUJ boss, who made the lamentation at a one-day symposium to mark the 2013 World Press Freedom Day at the Ministry of Justice Conference Hall, tongue-lashed the BoPP over some inadvertent lapses which ‘could not have reared their ugly heads if NUJ secretariat had been rebuilt.

The lapses, the chairman observed, could have marred the planned celebration of the World Press Freedom Day event in Port Harcourt, noting that the issues of convenient venue for holding Press Conference or meetings and lack of office space for operational purposes were major challenges for the union.

Dokubo told the audience that the State Government had made all efforts through the Ministry of Information and Communications, for the Bureau to vet and approve the tender documents for award of contract to reconstruct the NUJ House, to no avail.

According to him, the necessity for the project, which had been justified at both State Executive Council and House of Assembly, and adequate funds appropriated in the 2012 Budget, was still being questioned by the bureau.      ‘

He told the stakeholders that the executive of the NUJ had done everything under the sun to reach the leadership of the BoPP to explain issues but that the bureau had continued to shut its doors against the union, arguing that the bureau appeared to be deliberately delaying kick-starting the well-intentioned NUJ House to ensure that it was not rebuilt by the Amaechi administration.

Dokubo, who expressed displeasure over the delay tactics in the guise of due process, stated that if NUJ Secretariat had been rebuilt, the glaring short-comings and challenges the union was facing could have been mitigated, and blamed the difficulties and embarrassments encountered by the union and journalists in the state on the BoPP.

In his welcome remarks, organising committee chairman, Ignatius Chukwu, said the aim of the symposium was to keep the fire of freedom alive, as according to him, both journalism and the society thrived on freedom and sustainable democracy.

Prominent Rivers State indigenes at the forum also frowned at the inability of the appropriate government agency to facilitate the reconstruction of the secretariat for journalists practicing in the state, just as they expressed sadness that NUJ officers and members had remained refugees without any good rallying and meeting point in the state.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr Anthony Amakiri, expressed worry that the  bureau had unnecessarily delayed vetting of the bid documents for the NUJ house and tasked the Rivers State Governor to intervene to get the project kick-started.

Speakers, who took turns to address the audience, lauded the governance style of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-Ied administration, especially in the area of encouraging and supporting freedom of the press in the state.

Lead Speaker, Dr. John Idumange, political activist and lecturer in the Niger Delta University (NDU), now Special Adviser to Governor Dickson Seriake of Bayelsa State on Social Media, reflected on the fallen heroes in the profession, and regretted that no government or body cared for the families of journalists who had paid the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Udumange regretted the absence of insurance cover for practising journalists, and challenged media owners to institute functional insurance template for journalists and other media workers to guarantee the future of their families, especially children.