By Amos Aar
THE CORRESPONDENTS‘ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, has demanded of the chairperson of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Grace Adagba, to withdraw her demeaning remarks against them and tender ‘unreserved apology’.
The chapel, which took the decision at an emergency congress held Wednesday in Makurdi, also banned its members from the coverage of all activities of the SUBEB over the disparaging remarks.
Daily Independent had reported on Monday that Dr Adagba has been despotic and snobbish to the management staff of SUBEB’s board and has vowed not to grant audience to correspondents in the state until they give Governor Hyacinth Alia adequate publicity, describing them during their visit to her office as an opposition party that has refused to publicise the activities Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration.
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Following the publication, the SUBEB chairperson, represented by the board’s permanent member for Benue North-West, Mr Andy Uwouku, at a press briefing on Tuesday denied having such issues with the board’s management staff.
Uwouku was however mute on the description of the correspondents’ chapel as ‘OPPOSITION PARTY’.
As part of the resolutions from the chapel’s emergency meeting, signed by Comrade Emmanuel Antswem as chairman and Comrade Titus Atondu as secretary, the correspondents declared that they would not tolerate demeaning utterances from members of the public.
The Resolutions, among other, read: “The Congress has placed a ban on the coverage of all activities of Benue State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), following the utterances of the Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr. Grace Adagba.
“During the visit of Members of Correspondents Chapel to her office, Dr Adagba tagged journalists as “OPPOSITION PARTY”. She also accused journalists of under reporting Governor Hyacinth Alia’s activities.
“Congress also resolved that the SUBEB Chairman should withdraw her statement and tender unreserved apology.
“Congress commended the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for his developmental strides within nine months of his administration, that earned him several awards, including the Governor of the Year Award, by a reputable medium, Leadership Newspaper.
“Congress also acknowledged the efforts of the Media handlers of the Governor, especially the Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula and the Principal Special Assistant, Media and Publicity/Strategic Communications, Mrs. Bridget Kyado, in their attempts to resolve the matter.
“The Congress also resolved that the Chapel will not take lightly any form of disrespect or demeaning utterances/statements from any member of the public against them.”
