NUJ NATIONAL ELECTION: WHY I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENCY – DELE ATUNBI

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NUJ NATIONAL ELECTION: WHY I’M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENCY – DELE ATUNBI

As the campaigns for the 8th Triennial Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, scheduled for Owerri, the Imo State capital, gathers momentum, the leading candidate in the election, Mr Dele Atunbi, has disclosed reasons for contesting for the office of the President of the Union.

Atunbi said his zeal and desire to contest is to use his garnered experience as a professional journalist to rescue, revive, rejuvenate and restore the Union; the NUJ to be able to take it to an enviable position in line with the desires of the members.

The Presidential hopeful who was the former Vice President of the Zone ‘B’ (South-West), and the current National Treasurer of the Union, stressed that the NUJ is at a cross road thus all hands must be on deck to resuscitate the Union which is presently in comatose as a result of foresight and total lack of vision on how to pilot the affairs of the Union in past six years.

Atunbi, who stated these while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja at the weekend, said with the current situation of the Union which is fast losing its credibility and respect in the eyes of the public, members of the Union who have been made irrelevant must come together rescue, revive and rejuvenate the NUJ, adding that the situation calls for serious concerns and urgent attention.

According to him, the NUJ is no doubt in dire need of quality leadership that is able and capable with capacity, dignity and earned respect to pilot its affairs in line with its objectives as enshrined in its Constitution which is its body of laws.

Atumbi said; “Without any form of deceit, I have the desire, dream and lofty ideas to restore the Union to its enviable heights in which growth, needed progress and development of our noble Union shall be attained and sustained.

“As journalists and students of history, we surely need to keep abreast with developments in our country in such a way that will reflect positively on our great union and members”.

On his past records, Atunbi explained that, through proper husbandry of the Union’s resources, as Chairman of the Ondo State Council of the NUJ, his administration was able to save cost and purchased a Toyota Corolla for the union nine months to the expiration of his led executive committee.

Atumbi also said that part of his achievements was the resuscitation of Ondo NAWOJ that was in limbo on assumption of office, secured weigh-in allowance for Journalists in the Ondo State Ministry of Information in 2010 before the Federal Government approved it for their counterparts at the Federal level.

Speaking on his capacity to lead the Union, Atunbi said, while in office, he got 22 sacked workers of the Ondo State Radio Vision Corporation reinstated under 48 hours, a feat yet to be beaten by any industrial union in the state.

While promising not to compromise the welfare of members, Atunbi assured of his commitment towards ensuring that the safety of the members will not be taken for granted, as well as ensuring that journalism practice and members of the union are been protected from any form of harassment and or intimidation.