Preamble
NEC was officially declared opened by His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the Goremor of Akwa Ibom state. It was attended by the national officers, 32 state councils of the union and FCT. The theme of the meeting was: The Media, Democracy & National Development.
NEC deliberated extensively on issues affecting the Union and the Nation and
resolved as follows:
STATE OF THE UNION
1, All Councils are charged to remit check-off-dues to National Secretariat as at when due. The National Secretariat was directed to compute dues payable by each council for their compliance with effect from January 2018.
2. NEC condemns the recent award ceremony organized by members of Senate Press Corp in Abuja, despite the advise by the National Secretariat of the union asking them not to go ahead with the event.
Accordingly, the two principal officers of the Association involved, Ezrel Tabiowo of Blueprint and Cosmos Ekpunobi of Authority Newspapers are hereby suspended from the union indefinitely.
3. NEC re-affims the NPO ban on Beat Associations, adding that any council found promoting and associating with Beat Associations shall be sanctioned.
4. NEC also unanimously agrees that henceforth any disruption of union
elections at all levels while the process had begun shall not affect the outcome of such elections and the perpetrators of such disruptions shall be immediately suspended.
5. NEC directs the Chairman of Edo state council Roland Osakue to implement in total, the recommendations of its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee and all other issues as approved by the National Secretariat immediately or be punished as directed by NEC.
6. NEC also directs all state councils to enforce online registration of members before any election at chapels; failure to do so, councils should withdraw recognition of such chapels.
STATE OF THE NATION
7. NEC condemns the utterances of Senator Ben Murray Bruce, who had called for the sale of FRCN, NTA, VON and other federal media houses and demands an unreserved apology from the Senator.
8. NEC expresses worry over the continued owing of workers’ salaries,
pensions and gratuities by various state governments spanning many months and calls on the affected governors to clear these salaries especially to media workers.
9. The meeting expresses regret over the continuing clashes between farmers and herdsmen leadng to loss of life, livestock and properties.
NEC also frowns at the renewed cases of kidnappings especially
around Kaduna and Niger States urging government to improve security and bring perpetrators to book.
10. NEC applauds INEC and the good people of Anambra state for the
conduct of a peaceful, credible and transparent polls in the state in
November 2017.
11. Members decry the worsening condition of Nigerian roads which are
deteriorating daily and call for action by the federal government to expedite action on the on-going rehabilitation of roads across the country.
12. The meeting calls for judicious use of bailout funds given to the state governments for the payment of salaries and emoluments of the state workers.
13. NEC appeals to the federal and state governments to fund adequately the Federal Fire Service and State Fire Services to enable them respond to emergencies especially during this harmattan season.
14. NEC while commending the Federal Government for repatriating Nigerians stranded in Libya, urges for more effort in bringing all stranded Nigerians back home.
Finally, NEC commends the Akwa Ibom state government for providing
enabling environment for the successful hosting of the meeting.
Shuaibu Usman Leman
Walin Shadalafiya
National Secretary
