Hundreds of Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council on Saturday, impeached the Council Chairman, Patrick Osadebamwe and his Executive Council (EXCO).
The aggrieved Journalists drawn from various Chapels across the nation’s capital city unanimously resolved to sign impeachment notice during the heated Congress held at Council’s Secretariat located in Utako District of Abuja.
Prior to the nomination exercise, one of the Senior Journalists had drawn the attention of the embattled Chairman to the exclusion of the Nomination Committee on the agenda drawn in the minute of the last Congress.
In his response however, Comrade Osadebamwe admitted that the decision was deliberate with a view to ascertain the importance of the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile, trouble started when Comrade Osadebamwe-led EXCO called a set of members allegedly from the camp of his ally to nominate members of the Credentials Committee for the upcoming Council’s Election on the 4th December, 2024.
However, overwhelming members in attendance protested against the lopsidedness in the choice of the nominees which allegedly known to be his loyalists.
Piqued by the unethical and unprofessional actions and inactions of the Patrick Osadebamwe-led Exco, some of the members advised that the believed to be loyal to him and his EXCO to nominate members of the credentials committee, which many suspected was staged managed.
All pleas and protests by the Congress, rejecting the nominations, fell on deaf ears just as their insistence to subjects those nominated to voting was rejected by the EXCO.
According to members, the impeached EXCO had met with select members on the directives of the former chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche who is an Aide to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers State to pre-select the credentials committees.
Some Congress members further insisted that the embattled ex-chairman, his EXCO, and their loyalists met at the Okoisisi Garden, Utako, and planned the grand imposition, which met stiff resistance.
According to some members of the union, Ogbeche has a candidate for the election and instructed his successor and erstwhile subordinate, Osadebamwe, to put in place all modalities for his “anointed” candidate to win by all means.
The former FCT Council Chairman, Ogbeche, had boasted that his principal, Governor Otu, was interested in the election and directed to support a particular candidate.
The refusal of Osadebamwe-led EXCO to yield to demand of the Congress led to a commotion in the hall with the chanting “We no go gree o, we no go gree’, ‘we move for impeachment you can’t dictate to us!” while there were smashing of chairs and almost exchange of blows.
Those nominated were Emeka Nze, Blueprint, Francisca Udoh ITV, and Godfrey Okon of Abuja Inquirer.
Consequently, the erstwhile chairman and his EXCO whom most members described as ‘unpopular’ called armed police personnel to chase out the protesting members, but upon arrival, members chanted ‘No Police! No Police!’ and the charged atmosphere made the operatives to leave the venue of the Congress.
While the drama ensued, signatures were collected with more than 178 out of 255 two-thirds of the Congress signing for the impeachment of the
Osadebamwe-led EXCO.
Some members leading the impeachment process called on NUJ National Leadership to ensure the ratification of the sack of the FCT Council EXCO and appoint a caretaker committee.
Meanwhile, Chapel Chairmen after normalcy returned, resolved to take over the affairs of the FCT Council pending when the National Secretariat of the Union will set up a Caretaker Committee.
