By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
Worried by its continued shadowy posture as regards its activities in Warri and environs, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents Chapel, has resolved to boycott all activities relating to the Delta State government.
The well-thougth-out decision was arrived at during the chapel’s monthly Congress held on Monday, May 16, 2022, at the Warri Correspondents Chapel Press Centre, Warri, Delta State.
The Congress unanimously flayed the state government over its insensitivity and failure to give proper account of its activities to the people of Delta South and Delta Central senatorial districts which falls within the jurisdiction of the chapel.
In a communique jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of the chapel, Comrades Victor Okpomor and Dele Fasan, as well as the Communique Drafting Committee, Comrade Joe Ogbodu, Sylvester Idowu and Ebenezer Adurokiya, members expressed frustrations in meeting up with expectations of their headquarters.
Congress decried a situation whereby journalists from the chapel are perpetually in kept in the dark as to government functions and activities within these two senatorial districts, thereby giving room for suspicion among the populace.
The Delta State government appeared far from the people in Warri and environs, the Congress lamented, saying that there were a lot of issues that needed government’s attention that were left unattended to.
These, members asserted, included some abandoned roads and other veritable projects across the two senatorial districts, especially in oil-rich but highly impoverished Warri metropolis.
“What the Delta Government is good at is to keep churning out press releases upon press releases about issues and programmes bordering on governance in the state with journalists not given ample opportunities to ask first-hand questions.
“The Congress has been inundated with series of calls and accusations alleging compromise on the part of journalists covering this part of the state over failure to acquaint the government with the plight of the people especially in the area of some abandoned and neglected projects.
“Since we’re not accessible to government’s policies, challenges and programmes except what is contained in its doctored press releases, we’ve been finding it difficult to meet the expectations of the people.
“Information managers of the state government, who are supposed to acquaint the people with updates of their activities, appear evasive, making the job cumbersome for members of the fourth estate of the realm,” the Congress further averred.
Stonix News reports that members of the chapel have, therefore, vowed to ignore and walk away from activities partaining to the state government until it asquisces to the grievances with a view to addressing them.
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