Ogun NUJ Ready To Host National President, Tells Members To Ignore Dissident Voices

ABEOKUTA: The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Com Kayode Taiwo, has called on journalists in the state to disregard the ranting of some disgruntled elements on the National President of the Union’s planned tour of the Ogun Council.

According to a release issued on Thursday, February 20, 2020, and e-aigned by Com. Kayode Taiwo, he noted that members of the Union are eager to welcome the National President to the state because of the strategic place of the Council in Southwest, describing the ranting of Soji Amosu team as that of “drowning people”, “desperate to tarnish the image of journalists in Ogun State.”

This followed calls earlier made by Soji Amosu to Ogun NUJ members to boycott any planned reception for Com. Chris Isiguzo in the state.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman stated that “Amosu’s recourse to calling on Governor Dapo Abiodun not to receive the NUJ President remains the height of arrogance and disrespect for the office of the Governor, wondering when it becomes the responsibility of a member of a Union to determine who the Governor receives or not”.

His words: “The attention of the Caretaker Committee of the Ogun State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists has been drawn to the statement made by Mr Soji Amosu of National Orientation Chapel on visit of the President of NUJ to Ogun State.

“We never considered responding to this gross insensitivity on the part of a man who has spent twelve years continuously as top officer in the State describing the official visit of the NUJ President as one that will not bring good to Ogun State Council, perhaps you need to find out what the experiences of several State Councils already visited.

“Contrary to your opinion, this is long overdue as Ogun State is an important part of Zone B, (South West) and majority of the decent and committed practitioners in our State are eager to receive Mr. President, just hold your peace, sincerely, we are not joining issues with you or anyone else, we know Journalists, we know pretenders”.

Kayode Taiwo said he has never seen anyone with proper reasoning, that will build a house and because the fence is faulty, pulls down the entire building.

“We will like to let the discerning Public know that you and your cohorts have engaged in this blackmail and Character assassination, particularly on the President, is born out of your desperation to assume a position you need to have a clean win.

“To denigrate the office the President of our respected union is to show your lack of respect and humility, I wonder what your response will be if you are in his position, yet you wanted to be a Chairman under the leadership of the National President, Chief Chris Isiguzo, I can’t imagine”.

He however said, “Calling on the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun not to receive the National President of NUJ is height of arrogance and disrespect for the office of the Governor, I wonder when it becomes the responsibility of a member of a Union to determine who the Governor receives or not.

“I want to use this medium to implore all members of the Union to disregard the ranting of the drowning man who is desperate to tarnish the image of the Journalists in Ogun State”.

Taiwo stated further that, “We assure the President of the readiness of the State Council to welcome our President to the Cradle of Journalism in Nigeria, Ogun State is home to decent Nigerians ditto for Journalists practicing here”.