A media anti-graft advocacy group, Journalists Against Corruption (JAC), on Sunday, petitioned Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over what it called the “meddlesomeness” of the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the internal affairs of the state-owned Owena Press Limited.
In a statement in Abuja by its Programmes Coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, JAC also requested 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 governor to the ongoing reorganisation in the newspaper company, which saw Olatunji’s appointment a few days ago, as the daily editor of the newspaper and the swift opposing stance of Ondo NUJ, which has now forced the new management of the company to hold on its decision after being threatened with picketing of the company’s premises on Monday.
In its statement also copied the NUJ President; President of International Press Institute (Nigeria); the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, and the Coordinator of the International Press Centre, JAC expressed shock and dismay at the discriminatory treatment being meted to Olatunji by the state NUJ regarding his appointment as the Daily Editor of The Hope newspaper, urging Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene in the matter and put an end to this dangerous development.
Last week, Ondo NUJ had threatened to shut down Owena Press over what it decried as “some obnoxious” policies of the new Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Kayode Fasua.
In a Notice of Intent to picket the office, signed by the NUJ State Chairman, Prince Leke Adegbite, and Secretary, Olaoluwa Meshack, the union said it could no longer tolerate the “poor administrative skills” of Fasua, who was appointed four months ago.
The union alleged that Fasua had employed his “incompetent” friend as Editor, engaged a lady “who just finished Diploma” as News Editor and recruited his daughter as the Accountant of The Hope newspapers without following due process.
Fasua was said to have also demoted the Editor, Assistant Editor, News Editor and redeployed others without any reason, while he has “continued to threaten, harass and intimidate the workers, especially News Department staff”.
