A Sanctuary Profaned: The tragedy at NUJ FCT council

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) is meant to stand as a bastion of truth, professionalism, and collective dignity—a sanctuary where the pen is mightier than the sword.

Tragically, that sanctuary was desecrated, turned into a battlefield where the values of the Fourth Estate of the Realm were trampled underfoot, replaced by chaos, violence, and dishonor.

According to inside sources , a sordid tale of betrayal and greed has emerged, implicating the embattled NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Mr. Patrick Osaretin Osadebamwen and the Secretary, Ochiaka Ugwu.

Allegedly, a paltry N50,000, paid by the Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria, an arm of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was the price for compromising the sanctity of our hallowed NUJ-FCT Council Secretariat. It is unfathomable that the leader of a union meant to shield its members has allegedly become a conduit for the very forces that seek to destroy us.

Today, 20th November 2024, in a scene that can only be described as dystopian, the NUJ-FCT Secretariat became a den of hoodlums and societal deviants where motor park touts and thugs, emboldened by the absence of accountability, invaded the premises of the council in Utako to unleash terror on journalists.

The union tasked with the responsibility of informing and protecting the public was subjected to harassment, threats, and physical assault. These thugs, allegedly sponsored by figures connected to MC Oluomo, transformed the Secretariat into a theatre of violence. It was the swift intervention of the military and police that quelled the chaos, and it only underscores the magnitude of the lawlessness that prevailed in the council.

In September 2024, the leadership of the council also gave out the hall in the premises to Gay Association of Abuja( GAA) to use for their meeting, and during the course of their engagement, pandemonium ensured where there was a free for all fight amongst its members and it took the intervention of the police to restore peace.

On Monday, 18th November 2024, a political thug who drove in a white Mercedes Benz ML jeep to the premises of the council had altercations with some journalists and threatened to kill them in the presence of Patrick Osaretin Osadebamwen, the embattled chairman.
These and many other issues are of great concern to all journalists that mean well for the NUJ-FCT Council.

This is not just a stain on the NUJ; it is a betrayal of the ideals for which journalism stands. The pen, which writes the chronicles of nations and holds power to account, must not be overshadowed by the fist. It is evident that the current leadership has not only failed to protect its members but has also, by alleged complicity and incompetence, invited wolves into its fold.

The NUJ FCT Council can not afford to remain a playground for hoodlums, miscreants, and all manner of hardened criminals. The council should cease to be a marketplace for petty bribes and all forms of corrupt activities.

Leadership that prioritises the welfare, safety, dignity, and professionalism of its members must take the reins. We must restore the sanctity of our union and ensure that the lives and properties of journalists are no longer at the mercy of thugs and their enablers.

The NUJ Secretariat must once again become a sanctuary—a fortress of welfare, integrity, and a symbol of unwavering commitment to truth and justice.

Let this shameful chapter serve as a clarion call for reforms in the council, for only through change can we reclaim our honour and protect the legacy of journalism in NUJ-FCT Council.

The time for change is now.