By our Correspondent
Allegations of intimidation and mixed reactions have trailed the election of an Assistant Director in the Nasarawa State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Juliana Ofoku, as Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nasarawa State Council.
The concerns were raised by some members of the union following the just-concluded Triennial Delegates Congress held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
The congress was convened to elect new executive officers of the council following the expiration of the tenure of the outgoing executives led by Comrade Salihu Mohammed Alkali.
Speaking after the announcement of the results, some staff of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, who participated in the election, alleged that they were coerced and threatened with sanctions if they failed to vote for Mrs. Ofoku.
The staff members, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of possible reprisals, alleged that the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Ibrahim Tanko, convened a meeting with directors in the ministry and directed them to ensure that Mrs. Ofoku emerged victorious.
They further alleged that a Director in the ministry served as Mrs. Ofoku’s election agent to monitore the ministry’s staff to ensure compliance with the alleged directive.
Some journalists from other NUJ chapels also expressed concern over the outcome of the election, arguing that the Information Chapel, with about 100 accredited members, used its numerical strength to influence the results.
Chairman of the Credentials Committee, Dr. Kalu Idika, announced that Mrs. Juliana Ofoku polled 96 votes to defeat Mr. Samson Jonah of the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service, who secured 89 votes, and Mr. Sunday John of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who garnered 61 votes.
Other officials elected during the congress include Ibrahim Dauda as Secretary, Joel Adamu as Treasurer, and Bilkisu Adamu as Auditor. All three are staff of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
Responding to the allegations, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Ibrahim Tanko, denied coercing or directing any staff member to vote for a particular candidate. He stated that he only held a meeting with relevant stakeholders, including directors, as well as the General Managers of the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service and Precious FM, ahead of the election, but did not instruct anyone on how to vote.
Meanwhile, one of the chairmanship contestants and outgoing NUJ Secretary, Mr. Sunday John, accepted the outcome of the election and congratulated Mrs. Juliana Ofoku on her victory, urging members of the union to remain united and work together for the progress of the council.
