Delta NUJ Denies Urging Ned Nwoko To Fight For His ‘Mandate’

The Nigeria Unioń of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council has dissociated itself from a report credited to it to the effect that it urged People’s Democratic Party Delta North senatorial aspirant, Ned Nwoko to fight for his ‘mandate’.

The state council of the NUJ says the report didn’t emanate from them hence “no official of the council was quoted” in the said publication.

It could be recalled that Nwoko had convened a press briefing where some journalists were said to have urged him to fight for his mandate.

Reports after the meeting however credited the assertions made by the journalists during the briefing to the leadership of NUJ Delta Council.

But a statement by Chairman of the Council, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu and his Secretary, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, stated that the publication which bear no imprint of its leadership couldn’t have emanated from them.

They said all elected officials of the council, alongside other delegates were in far away Abeokuta, Ogun State for the 6th Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the NUJ when the event took place.

They said the individuals who made the assertions express themselves freely in accordance to Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The statement read: “The individuals expressed themselves out of premodial conviction in the person of Hon Prince Ned Nwoko to serve society creditably.

“How Hon. Prince Ned Nwoko goes about heeding that advise is purely his concern.

“Now, let us set the records straight. We at the NUJ Delta Council do not see anything wrong in individuals expressing themselves and encouraging an aspirant in the person of Hon Prince Ned Nwoko to keep fighting for his dream.

“But our major concern is that the writer of the report should have credited the individual that made the statement as the leadership of the NUJ Delta State Council did not mandate any individual or group of individuals to speak for the Union .

“However, we wish to place on record that Hon. Prince Ned Nwoko remains a credible patron to NUJ Delta State Council and will continue to relate with him in that capacity and would not hesitate to give him support as our patron whenever the need arises.

“This is our position and we hope well meaning people will understand the tiny difference between being professional in reportage and the right of individuals to air their personal views”.

BigPen Online recalls that Ned Nwoko, a former member of the House of Representatives was the closest rival to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi in the just concluded PDP Delta North senatorial primary held at the Cenotaph ground, Asaba. Senator Nwaoboshi polled 506 to beat his closest rival who scored 453 votes and Paul Osaji, 216 votes.