A breakaway faction of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has formed Association of Nigeria Journalists (ANJ), alleging desperate aggressive pursuit of personal vendetta against practising members on one side and States Executive Council (SEC) members on the other side.

This happenned barely 24 hours after the National Executive Council of NUJ meeting held in Asaba, Delta State Capital.

The proterm Executive Secretary of ANJ, Prince Benson Agwu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday after a virtual meeting with the national leaders of the Association, adding that Registration is on across States Councils for interested members who share the same discerning view of the veterans, adding that contacts of the different States Councils shall soon be made public for interested members.

But a NEC member of NUJ described the allegations as misleading and a wild goose chase by attention-seeking spectators who are not members of the NUJ.

According to the statement by ANJ: “the national leadership of NUJ led has drifted from the dictates of the noble Professional Union and Journalism practice to desperate aggressive pursuit of personal vendetta against practising members on one side and States Executive Council (SEC) members on the other side”.

ANJ, recalled how the Council Chairman of Zamfara State was recently forced to resign to avert impeachment on him secured by the NUJ national leadership after the chairman of Kaduna State Chapter of the Union was forced to apologise to the leadership of NUJ for sharing a news story questioning veracity of the Certificate with which the incumbent President tendered and on which he vied and was returned as elected President of the NUJ.

The breakaway group wondered why the issue of his qualification cannot be discussed because if any NEC/NEC dare raise it risks indefinite suspension.

Part of statement reads: “The NUJ leadership has become a sole administrator affair and nobody in either the NEC or CWC dare to speak out. The NEC and CWC seem to have been subsumed and conquered by their leadership whose academic qualification has remained a suspect.

“The NUJ Constitution has long been abandoned, just as leadership is being imposed on all the Councils where the State Executive Councils (SEC) or State Working Committee (SWC) do not curry the favour of the union’s national leadership. And nobody can say a word for fear of being suspended indefinitely.

“The case is not different at the South West zone; the NUJ leadership must at all times install SEC members that shall abide by his biddings. These has plunged the Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Enugu States among other Councils into unnecessary acrimony and resources waste in a litigious sojourn”, the statement said.

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