Tina Amanda
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, has elected new leadership to pilot her affairs for the next three years, at its 7th Triennial Conference.
Winners in the election emerged after a rigorous free and fair exercise, that re-elected Stanley Job as Chairman of the Union with 150 votes knocking out his opponent Paul Bazia Nsaneh, who scored 140 votes.
Other elected officials are Ike Wigodo – Secretary with 169 votes against Obiano Madume who scored 119 votes, Okechukwu Maru emerged as Vice Chairman with 145 votes, Doris Tams Morrison won the Treasurer seat with a total vote of 152.
Ominini Leslie Wokoma clinched the Auditor position with 160 votes and Fubara Miebaka emerged as Financial Secretary with 149 votes.
Addressing the new elected executives, Vice President, Zone F of the Council Opaka Dokubo, who supervised the election alongside other NUJ National officials, urged the new leadership to work in love and admonished them to make available reliable membership register prior to any election as to avoid unnecessary crisis and rancour.
“The very root of the crisis we had was just the membership register, we need to avoid this manipulations at election time and we can only do that if we start early enough to ensure we have membership register that can be reliable and proud of. The moment election gets close everyone becomes too sensitive.
“They were not able to tidy up their acts properly. As at the time we experienced the lapses, it was far too late in the day to resolve, that was why we postponed it to today. You can see that when it is free, fair and plain, nobody quarrels, nobody shouts at the other, winners are jubilating, losers are jubilating with them.
“The new executives should be able to close ranks, forgive, because for me the campaigns was very worrisome, it was full of acrimonious campaign, lot of wounds in the heart of many persons. If all of us would have our hands on the deck to move the Union forward and work hard to assure the other opponents that they are not truly losers.
“It is important that you do not behave like a winner who have taking it all and make the other people look like losers.”
Also, the newly elected NUJ Chairman, Stanley Job, assured that every member of the Union will be cared for and carried along irrespective of the differences incurred during the election campaign, while reiterating his commitment to ensure that professionalism is maintained.
“We are going to ensure that our members are taken care of in terms of welfare because that is what unionism is all about, we are one family, the Union belongs to us all, that you lost election today, you can win tomorrow. We would make sure professionalism is uplifted to the height our members will be proud they belong to this profession.”
On his part, Paul Bazia Nsaneh who lost the Chairmanship position to his opponent, maintained that he is ready to support the new leadership to succeed, while advising the executive to step up the Union from what it was in the last three years.
“I fought a good fight, the people have decided whom their set of leaders would be for the next three years. All we have to do is to support them to succeed, we have to take responsibilities for the kind of leaders we elect. I do not have a problem working with the Chairman, I was there before with him as Vice Chairman, what ever I will do to ensure the executives succeeds, I will contribute my quota.”
Recall that the 7th triennial delegates conference election was fixed and postponed severally due to the crisis amongst the contesting members.
