Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Southeast zone, has condemned in strong terms alleged assault, intimidations, harassment and extortion of motorists along the Owerri/Onitsha road, Ihiala, Anambra state, by both the military and police.
Making the condemnation during the NUJ Southeast zonal media parley held at Awkw weekend, the NUJ Vice President, Southeast, Emma Ifesinachi and the vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Okeke Ogene, described the situation as unfortunate and called on the authorities concerned to intervene before the situation deterioted to unbearable condition.
The parley with the Theme, Media Security, and sustainable development, focus on Southeast Geo-political zone, had media men from the zone and beyond.
In a communique signed by the Imo state chairman of N UJ, comrade Akaraonye Chris and Anambra NUJ Chairman, Ekpone Francis, both condemned the dehumanization of Ndigbo traveling within the South East, especially in the Ihiala axis of Anambra state saying, “it is unacceptable and should be addressed”
“The leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and southeast leaders of NUJ should, as a matter of urgency, meet with the state governors in the zone to quickly intervene and stop the dehumanization of innocent Ndigbo traveling home for Yuletide season by the military personnel who force passengers to alight from their vehicles and raise their hands to cross checkpoints.”
“Ohaneze Ndigbo should as a matter of necessity and urgency, reach out to other zones and lobby them towards the actualization of Nigeria president of Igbo extraction
Igbo rich men should see the need to invest in the media industry by establishing television, radio stations, and newspapers that would serve as the voice of Ndigbo that would out their needs in the country.”
“Igbo politicians interested in the 2023 presidential election should begin to mobilize, consult and seek supports for the election across the country
Media practitioners in South East to step up efforts towards sensitizing Igbo elites to partner with them for sustainable development, especially during these security challenges.”
” Southeast governors should partner, empower and fund Ohaneze Ndigbo properly and to, this will enable Ohaneze Ndigbo to meet up with some of the challenges confronting the zone.
That the media parley participants charged the Southeast governors to do all within their respective state’s financial capability to fix all the roads in their area of responsibility.”
“That the security chiefs in the Zone should educate their field personal on the need to see Journalists as their partner in the nation-building rather than seeing media practitioners as enemies”
