Perm Sec Tasks NUJ Leadership On Unity

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Rivers State, Mr. Emmanuel Ndah, has charged the leadership of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that all factions of the union are collapsed, especially now that the election is over.
Ndah gave the charge when the newly elected executives of the council and some of its members led by the Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia, paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the State Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The Permanent Secretary said he will do everything within his reach to ensure that the union is put in the front burner as far as their demands are achievable within the directives of the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd).
He also promised to ensure that the demands of the union get to the appropriate quarters.
According to him, the effort of the State Sole Administrator is to carry out programmes that can be achieved in six months and urged the NUJ to make demands that can be achieved within the period.
“The (Sole) Administrator has put so much effort to not only carry out achievable programmes, but also ensure peace and security in the State”, he said.
He, therefore,instructed the new executives to carry every member of the union along in the scheme of things.
“After the election, the union is now one. Carry everybody along so that the union will move forward”, he said.
The Chairman of NUJ, Bazia, had earlier assured the Permanent Secretary that the new executive was ready to work with the government to change the negative narratives and move the State forward.
Bazia further emphasised that the union will ensure factual reportage that will bring about the development of the State.
He also said the essence of the visit was to introduce the new executives to their host and lamented the deplorable condition of the NUJ Secretariat and urged the Permanent Secretary to help push the demands of the union to the state government, while highlighting some of the challenges faced in the Council.
“In terms of mobility, we have no vehicle, the one we have is in a bad shape. Most of the facilities are bad, so we need you to help push our issues to the Administrator pending when our Governor will be restored”, he said.
He thanked the Permanent Secretary for receiving members of the union within a short notice.

King Onunwor