NUJ chairman urges correspondent chapel exco to be united

Akpan Umoh

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Amos Etuk, has urged the newly elected chairman of the Correspondents Chapel to work in unity by ensuring all members are carried along in the scheme of things.

He said this while advising the elected chairman, Comrade Idongesit Ashameri of the Independent Newspaper at the Chapel office in Uyo on Monday.

According to the NUJ chairman, there was no victor and no vanquished, and described the chairman-elect as an asset to the union.

“She is a voice whose wealth of experience and contributions during State Executive Council (SEC) meetings has helped to propel and reposition the Union for the best,” he said.

He said this after the conduct of the Chapel election which was adjudged free, fair, and credible by the voters and observers alike.

He called on members of the Chapel to support the chairman to succeed bearing in mind that it was God who gives and qualifies leaders, stressing that, for the chairman elect to garner all 22 votes was a testimony to the fact that, members of the Chapel love her and believed in her capability to lead well.

Also speaking, former Chairman of NUJ and member of Correspondents Chapel, Joe Effiong, congratulated the winners and commended the orderliness and timely conduct of the election as well as the emergence of a preferred candidate in the person of Idongesit Ashameri and other executives.

In her acceptance speech, the chairman elect, Idongesit Ashameri, thanked members for the confidence reposed in her to return for second term, promising to place the interest of members above self.

She appealed for cooperation from members, assuring them of her determination and commitment to make the chapel stand out among others, without compromising the ethics of journalism.

She described the Chairman of NUJ, Amos Etuk, as a steadfast and objective leader whose chairmanship has continued to reposition the the Union for the best since the inception of his leadership present in August 2019.

The election, which was conducted by the state Secretary of the NUJ, Dominic Akpan saw the emergence of Comrades Sunday Bassey as Vice Chairman and Isaiah Eka as Secretary.

Other exco members are Comrades Iniabasi Umo, Assistant Secretary, Lovina Emole, Treasurer, Bassey Anthony, Financial Secretary, and Emeka Samuel as Auditor.

Earlier Comrade Anthony Ita Etim of Southern Examiner, who contested for the position of the Chairman tendered a letter of withdrawal from the contest to the credentials committee Chairman Comrade Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh and Secretary Comrade Patrick Titus.