The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), an umbrella body of practicing journalists in the country, has been advised to redefine its membership criteria to rid the Union of charlatans and hangers-on that have brought shame and disrepute to the noble profession.
Enyinaya Appolos, chief press secretary (CPS) to Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, tasked the national leadership of the body to partner tertiary institutions in the country to ensure that only qualified journalists were allowed to practice in the country, as well as into membership of the Union.
Appolos gave the advice Tuesday, while hosting practicing journalists in Aba, on the aegis of Aba Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on a visit to his office at the Government House, Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The CPS, who spoke against the backdrop of a letter purported to have emanated from the John Emejor-led NUJ, Abia State Council, addressing other registered journalists in Aba, as “amorphous journalists,” charged practicing journalists not to give “hangers-on” in the profession, the opportunity they were always seeking to rubbish the profession.
“If someone, who cannot lay claim or identify himself with any media house, could address registered and practicing journalists in such manner as “amorphous journalists,” I think, it is an issue that the leadership of our Union should look into. I am seriously pained because some persons, who obviously may not have any formal training in journalism, are working so hard to make nonsense of a noble profession,” said Appolos.
He said the time has come for journalists to ask, who is supposed to be a member of the NUJ; stressing that the fact that a person works in the Ministry of Justice, does not make him a lawyer. In the same vein, that one works in a state Ministry of Information, should not give him the impetus to talk when journalists are talking.
“None of them can be sent to a war zone, but all of us here can be sent to anywhere to face the heat. But, I have never heard that any such persons as those ones have ever faced the hazards of the job that we face daily.” the CPS said.
He expressed as worrisome, that Emejor, who is an information officer in the Abia State Information ministry, would have the temerity to describe journalists who work in reputable media organizations as fakes and swindlers; and called on the NUJ national body to look into this, since according to him, it does not happen in other professions.
He explained that he came into office barely a year ago as the Chief Press Secretary, and has nothing special in the office, but to render service to his State.
Okey Sampson, chairman, Aba Federated Chapel of NUJ, explained that the chapel visited him to thank him for his assistance to journalists in Aba, which according to him, was unprecedented in history of the chapel, since it was inaugurated in 1980, 37 years ago.
Sampson thanked Governor Ikpeazu for his commitment to right the wrongs past leaderships in the State had done against Aba residents, which line Appolos was also toeing in his relationship with journalists in Aba.
Recall that Aba infrastructure was allowed to decay, but the present administration in Abia has been doing all it could to restore the lost glory of a city, known as the “Japan of Africa,” because of the entrepreneurial spirit of its residents.
