FIC Report (Abia State) – Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, (NAWOJ) Abia State Chapter has elected a new Executive to run its affairs, with Josephine Ogwo of the State Information Chapel as Chairman and Nora Okafor of the Correspondents as Vice Chairman.
Others Officers elected at its Congress held in Umuahia included Sally Anyaso- Secretary, Juliet Onyebuchi- Assistant Secretary, Kate Emeka- Financial Secretary and Nkechi Onuoha as Treasurer.The swearing in ceremony was performed by three Umuahia based Legal Practitioners, Barr. John Ifereobasi, Barr Mrs Gloria Chukwueke and Barr Chinenye Afunwa at the Abia NUJ Secretariat where the election was held.
Barr. Ifereobasi of the Abia State Ministry of Justice in his speech, warned Leaders in position of authority to shun impunity, pointing out that it is wrong for any Leader to impose Executive on any Association.He counseled that the Constitution in any Association should be duly followed to avoid anarchy.
In her statement before the new Executive was sworn in, the Chairman NAWOJ Screening and Credentials Committee, Comrade Nkasi Akoma, represented by the Secretary of the Committee, Comrade Adaeze Igbokwe stated that the new Executive was sworn in based on the directive from NAWOJ’s NEC during its meeting in Asaba, Delta State asking Abia State Screening Committee to conduct its election immediately following the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Executive.
In her acceptance speech, the new Chairperson of NAWOJ in Abia State, Comrade Ogwo, thanked all for electing them into the Executive and pledged to run an open door policy where every female Journalist in Abia State will be carried along in the scheme of things.
She promised to run an open door policy and urged all registered female Journalists to join NAWOJ, pointing out that being a Member of NUJ does not automatically qualify a female Journalist as a Member of NAWOJ.
She said, “we’re fighting a just cause, if it’s not so, I’ll not fight. NAWOJ in the State has been so peaceful. Abia has never gone for NAWOJ national elections with two factions and we want it to remain so. What is happening now is strange to us and we want the right thing to be done”.
Speaking, the immediate past Chairman of NAWOJ, Mrs Beatrice Okezie Odoemelen said she is grateful to God for a peaceful election even as she warned against any introduction of crisis in Abia NAWOJ.
The immediate past Secretary of NAWOJ in the state, Henrietta Ashikodi and Treasurer, Ifeyinwa Abiakam, as well as the Treasurer of the Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chibuzor Maduka-Iroh, called for lasting peace in Abia NAWOJ, even as they kicked against any introduction of injustice as well as acts of impunity on the body.
