By Felix Ekwu
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, says it will henceforth hold the Niger Delta Ministry accountable through the monitoring, inspection and evaluation of various projects embarked upon by the Ministry.
This was part of the resolutions reached and contained in a communique issued on Thursday after a meeting of Zone F of the Union in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In the communique endorsed by the Vice President, Zone F, Comrade Opaka Dokubo and Secretary, Zone F, Comrade John Angese, the Union said, “called on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to sit up to its lawful functions, and particularly, ensure that capacities of the Niger Delta people are enhanced for optimal development of the region.
“Furthermore, the meeting called on the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately inaugurate a lawfully and duly constituted Board of the NDDC in order not to continue to undermine the Act creating the Commission.
“The meeting equally frowned at the continued delay by the Federal Government to finish the construction of the East-West Road. It, therefore, called on the Government to declare a state of emergency on the Road, particularly, the Eleme section, to ease the suffering of the people using the road.”
On the 2023 general elections, the Union “urged politicians in the South-South not to heat up the polity as we draw close to campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections, noting that the people are traumatised enough as a result of economic hardship and general insecurity bedevilling the country and may not be able to endure a political crisis.
“As a follow-up, it implored the electorates to avoid undermining the Electoral Laws and Guidelines through vote selling, warning them to be mindful of those who would come to manipulate them to buy their votes, and consequently, their welfare.”
Other resolutions reached during the inaugural meeting of the Zone under the leadership of Comrade Opaka Dokubo, were, “the Zonal leaders commended the Zonal Executive under the leadership of Comrade Opaka Dokubo for efforts made thus far to keep the Zone together in peace and harmony. It, therefore, frowned at the failure of the Cross River and Edo State Councils to attend the first Zone F meeting under the leadership and therefore resolved that Cross River State Council should host the next Zonal meeting in October while Edo State Council to host in December.
“Going forward, it was unanimously adopted that any State Council that fails to attend future meetings of the Zone without cogent reasons would be fined #100,000.00.
“The meeting ratified the plans by the Zonal leadership to hold a Zonal Media Summit, using it as a platform to initiate conversation with critical stakeholders and other credible voices towards a politically stable and economically developed region. As prelude to the Summit, the Zonal leaders agreed to open up engagements with critical stakeholders and partners on the need to build a formidable Zone devoid of self-devaluation and internal crisis.
“The meeting recognised and commended the Governors in the South-South Geopolitical Zone that have continued to support the various State Councils of the NUJ to meet up with their statutory mandates. It singled out the Governors of Akwa-Ibom State, H.E. Udom Emmanuel, Bayelsa State, H.E. Douye Diri, Delta State, H.E. Ifeanyi Okowa and Edo State, H.E. Godwin Obaseki; while appealing to the Governors of Cross River State, H.E. Prof. Ben Ayade and Rivers State, H.E. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to be more magnanimous, gracious and kindly disposed to issues affecting the NUJ in particular, and media practitioners at large, in their States.
“On a special note, the Zonal Executive Council commended the Akwa-Ibom State Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade (Barr.) Ini Emem Obong for supporting the Zone F towards the successful hosting of its meeting.
“The meeting equally commended the Zonal leadership for the peaceful and successful conduct of elections in five State Councils within the Zone; while thanking the members, asked them to continue to support and advance the peace template of the leadership.”
