…urges Aiyedatiwa to intervene
A media anti-graft advocacy group, Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), on Sunday, petitioned the Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over the meddlesomeness of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, in the internal affairs of the state-owned Owena Press Limited.
JAC in a statement in Abuja, signed by its Programmes Coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, also requested Governor Aiyedatiwa to swiftly intervene in the case of Mr Segun Olatunji, an employee of the Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope titles, and the “interloping meddlesomeness” of the NUJ in Ondo State “sided by a few Ondo State political hawks, in the day-to-day running” of Owena Press Limited and The Hope newspaper titles.
The organisation called the attention of the Ondo State governor to the ongoing reorganisation in the newspaper company, which saw the appointment of Mr Olatunji, a few days ago, as the Daily Editor of the newspaper and the swift opposing stance of the Ondo NUJ, which has now forced the new management of the company to hold on its decision after being threatened with an impending picketing of the company’s premises on Monday (tomorrow).
JAC, in its statement also copied the NUJ President, Abuja; President, International Press Institute, (IPI) Nigeria, Abuja; the Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Coordinator, International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, expressed shock and dismay at the discriminatory treatment being meted to Mr. Olatunji by the Ondo State NUJ regarding his appointment as the Daily Editor of the state-owned The Hope newspaper, urging Governor Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene in the matter and put an end to this dangerous development.
