CALABAR – The Cross River State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has issued a cautionary message to local government chairmen across the state, particularly in the Northern Senatorial District, over rising political tensions and threats of impeachment rocking several councils.
In a communiqué released at the end of its Congress held on August 27 in Calabar, the Union expressed concern over the breakdown of decorum in the local government system, warning that frequent suspensions and impeachment dramas were tarnishing the image of the state.
The NUJ specifically urged council chairmen to adopt inclusive leadership by carrying councillors along in decision-making, stressing that constant clashes between chairmen and legislators undermine grassroots governance.
The caution follows a string of high-profile disputes in the Northern Senatorial District. In Bekwarra Local Government Area, the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Theresa Akwaji Ushie, was impeached by her councillors earlier this year for alleged financial mismanagement and abuse of office. Similarly, in Etung LGA, a councillor, Hon. Kingsley Agbor Ekuri, was suspended and later arrested over allegations of insubordination and misconduct.
"These crises not only stall development at the local level but also project Cross River in a bad light before the Nigerian public," the communiqué read in part.
Beyond the local government issues, the NUJ also called on security agencies to be more proactive in tackling insecurity, urged government to curb the excesses of TRAMA officials, and commended Governor Bassey Otu for his ongoing infrastructural projects, particularly the Inyang Edem Street concrete works in Calabar.
The communiqué, signed by Ekone Okpa (Chairman), Julia (Secretary), and Affiong Ndem (Member) of the drafting committee, outlined issues considered critical to the state of the state.
Speaking after the Congress, the NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Achibong Bassey, emphasized the watchdog role of journalists, noting: "It is imperative, as journalists who are seen as the watchdogs of the nation, to remind politically exposed persons of their responsibilities to the people, especially those at the grassroots."
0 comments: