A front-line presidential candidate of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo has challenged some petitioners on online media to prove that he presented forged certificates to the Credential Committee for clearance.
A statement by the Director General, Rescue Mission Organisation Comrade Ali Atabor issued Tuesday said said forgery of any kind is a weighty criminal offence under the nation’s law that must be proved when alleged.
The full statement:
The attention of Rescue Mission Organisation, the NUJ presidential campaign outfit of Comrade Chris Isiguzo has been drawn to online media publications emanating from a sponsored petition from misguided and wicked elements, purporting that our principal, Comrade Chris Isiguzo submitted forged certificates in the process of getting clearance to vie for the President of NUJ.
Forgery of any kind is a weighty criminal offence under the nation’s law. As weighty as the allegation might appear to the unsuspecting public, we are not unaware where it is coming from and its intendments, which include to cast aspersion on our principal and to scuttle our political gains thus far.
We are not also unaware of the legal dictum that the onus lies on he who alleges, to provide proof; and that failure to provide proof comes with consequences. Since we know where such smear campaigns are coming from, we have chosen not to be distracted now but wait for the proof, failure of which we shall initiate legal actions at the appropriate time.
However, we urge our teaming supporters and general public to disregard such malicious publications and those behind them, because they are facing imminent defeat at the elections.
Those who feel jittery at the rising profile of our Principal and have resorted to this smear are encouraged to go to Federal Polytechnic Oko and properly investigate the certificates Comrade Isiguzo presented to the Credentials Committee, rather than wasting time on malice.
It is worthy of note that these elements never raised any eyebrows from when Comrade Isiguzo contested election at the Correspondents Chapel in Imo State in 2004, State Secretary in Ebonyi State Council in 2007, Zonal Secretary, Zone C in 2009, Vice President, Zone C in 2012 and Vice President Zone C, in 2015; only to now wake up from their ‘slumber’, immediately he decided to run for the National President of NUJ. Those who are not comfortable with this should seek victory at the polls rather than the resort to blackmail.
We want to restate that the Rescue Mission Movement remains determined, committed and undaunted in its clear goal of rescuing the Union from its present near comatose/decrepit status.
Positive change doesn’t come easy but we shall remain focused and not distracted.
All the initial desperate efforts to discredit our principal met brick wall, this too shall pass; but those behind it MUST NOT go unpunished, its a promise!
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