Delta SWAN Urges Members to Ignore Threats by Delta NUJ
The attention of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Delta State Chapter, has been drawn to a statement by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Delta State Council, calling for the suspension of the Delta SWAN election and threatening members not to participate in the exercise on the false ground that SWAN activities and the election, particularly, need the endorsement and supervision of the NUJ.
Ordinarily, we would have ignored the statement but it is necessary to set the records straight in the interest of the general public and members of both SWAN and the NUJ.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to establish as has been done severally that SWAN is completely independent of the NUJ, that SWAN is fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, as a separate legal entity and that SWAN has long de-affiliated with the NUJ.
We state categorically that while the NUJ is established under the Trade Unions Act, SWAN is established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, as a body of professional practitioners affiliated with the Association of International Sporting Press, AIPS.
We make bold to say that even the constitution of the NUJ itself does not claim by any provision that SWAN is under it nor that it is required to supervise nor endorse the activities of SWAN.
In fact, this issue has been tested at the National Industrial Court Lagos in which Justice M.N. Esowe only recently threw out the challenge against SWAN by persons who claimed to act under the powers of the NUJ, Lagos Council.
We are convinced that the leadership of the NUJ is conscious of these facts and therefore find it curious for Delta NUJ Council to want to continue to interfere in an organisation that is clearly not its organ nor under its charge.
In view of these glaring, incontrovertible facts, we advice the Delta NUJ to maintain its lane and not be unnecessarily driven by the penchant for territorialism.
We urge all SWAN members to ignore whatever statement obviously made in error or ignorance by the Delta NUJ and go about the business of SWAN with full sense of liberty.
We state that the Delta SWAN election will proceed as planned under the supervision of the National Executive Council of SWAN and authority of the International Association of the Sporting Press, AIPS.
Finally, we wish to put the security agencies on notice about the reckless interference of the Delta NUJ and its seeming readiness to recklessly breach the public peace and order in baseless ego trip.
Signed:
Azuka Chiemeke, Chairman
Bridget Agetu, Secretary
