April 29, (THEWILL) – The National Industrial Court, Makurdi Division, has disqualified Comrade Bemdoo Ugber of Radio Benue and Terna Uma of NTA, from contesting in the forthcoming election to usher in new executives committee of the Benue state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Justice I.J. Essien gave the order while delivering judgement on Thursday, in a suit filed before him by the Claimant, Orduen Dura, against Nigerian Union of Journalists National Secretariat, Abuja, 2nd Respondent, Chris Isugozo, National president of NUJ and four others.
The Claimant had approached the court seeking interpretation of relevant sections of the NUJ Constitution 2019 as amended, on whether the National secretariat has the right to give waiver on state Councils elections.
The court heard that the waiver by the National secretariat was illegal, null and void, and upholds the screen report of the Credentials Committee set up last year and in the same breath, dissolved the same committee.
In the said Credentials Committee report, Bemdoo Ugber and Terna Uma, who were contesting as chairman were disqualified, having scored only six and ten percent out of the fifty percent attendance as required by the union’s constitution.
However, when the committee sent it recommendations to NUJ national Secretariat, the two were granted waivers to join two others, Dennis Ayom of the Benue State Ministry of Information and Vincent Nyinongo of The Prime chapels, to contest for same positions.
In a similar vein, the national Secretariat disqualified Comrade Nabem Dabur of The Voice chapel, who was cleared by the Committee to contest for the position of State Secretary of the union.
Worried by this development, Comrade Orduen Dura of the Benue State Ministry of Information, dragged the union to the industrial court, seeking interpretation over the action.
The court further ordered the Steven Ijoh-led Caretaker Committee, to convene a Congress and put in place electoral committee within fourteen days and conduct elections 14 days thereafter.
Justice I.J.Essien also restrained National president of NUJ, Mr Cris Isugozo and Vice President, Zone D of NUJ, from visiting the venue of the forthcoming elections or participating in the same.
Subsequently, the court set aside the purported elections held on 3rd July 2021, which produced Bemdoo Ugber as chairman.
It declared as unconstitutional, the N5,000 biometric fee as condition for voting in the NUJ elections.
Justice I.J. Essien admonished the conduct of counsel to the 1st, 3rd defendants, Barr. Sunday Dikson and Counsel to the party, seeking to be joined in the suit, Barr. J.K Ishember, for writing petition against the court instead of filing their processes for adjudication.
Justice Essien described the actions of NUJ national president, Comrade Chris Isugozo, for writing petitions against the court as “ignorant of the law.”
He, therefore, set aside any suspension or any punitive measures taken against the claimant, Comrade Orduen Dura, during the pendency of the suit and any elections or selection done within the same time.
Reacting, Counsel to the claimant, Barr Benki Wombo, said it’s unfortunate that a court of superior record, like the industrial court would give an order and defendants/privies will sit in the comfort of their homes as journalists and the fourth realm of the society and disobey such orders.
He called on the Nigerian police, Benue State Command to retrieve the NUJ bus and office keys and hand over same to Comrade Steven Ijoh-led interim Committee in line with the court judgement.
It will be recalled that while the Court’s restraining order was served on credentials committee and the Acting chairman of the union in Makurdi, the Committee went ahead and conducted the election in which the two unqualified candidates, Ugber defeated Uma on 3rd July, 2021.
When the case came up on 15th July, 2012, the presiding judge, Justice I.J. Essien, nullified the purported election and charged all the victors and the credentials committee members with contempt.
