Safe for the action of the representatives of Enugu State government, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Enugu State would have been turned into theater of war as the government came to share palliatives to journalists in the state.
What was supposed to be a moment of joy resurrected the age long factional war in the state union as the journalists couldn’t put their house in order for the distribution of the items to them.
The atmosphere became so charged when a faction insisted that the palliatives be handed over to them as the leadership of the NUJ for onward distribution to the members. This suggestion was met with a strong resistance by the members of another faction of the Union who insisted that they are the authentic leadership and that the items be shared to them on individual basis after due identification if sharing of the items can’t be done based on the two factions.
The State Commissioner for Information, Chidi Aroh, who insisted that he wouldn’t want to meddle into the leadership crisis rocking the state chapter of the union stressed that “the palliative is for every journalist in the state irrespective of the faction the person belongs to.”
The Commissioner spent ample time trying to speak to the two factions to agree on a term the items could be shared. When this failed and with some members threatening fire and brimstone should the items not shared based on their own dictates, the state government team ordered the items to be returned back to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
The announcement of the suspension of the distribution of the palliative was made by the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, who represented the Deputy Governor, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo; the Chairman of the State Emergency/Palliatives Committee.
In his words; “We are taking back the share of the NUJ because the principal objective of government is the welfare and security of the people which can not be guaranteed in the this atmosphere.”
The decision of the state government generated mixed reactions amongst the journalists. While some of them said that the action of the government saved the day as the factions were almost as daggers drawn, others maintained that this should make the journalists to tow the path of peace.
The state government team left after presenting some items to Radio and Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU).
