Suspected hoodlums disrupt NUJ meeting in Yenagoa

Posted by admin Bayelsa, Headlines, State News Friday, February 21st, 2014

By SAMUEL OYADONGHA, yenagoa
No fewer than 15 hoodlums Thursday invaded the conference hall of the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Yenagoa and disrupted the union’s planned emergency meeting.

But the intervention of the police prevented the situation from degenerating into bloodbath as four of the hoodlums were arrested.

The union headed by its chairman, Tariyon Akono, it was learnt had planned to discuss the Ladi Lawal NUJ awards 2014 at the emergency meeting when the hoodlums invaded the venue.

The conference was later sealed up by the police authorities in the state which invited officials and members of the union to give statement on the incident.

In a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary ,Tariyon Akono and Samson Opokuma and four others dismissed reports of a vote of no confidence allegedly passed on the Chairman and Secretary by an executive member of the union with the connivance of some external forces.

The statement claimed the said executive member of the union had since abandoned his duty and was behind the plot to cause crisis within the group.

The statement read in part, “The NUJ wishes to state that no member of the union or executive was arrested. We urge our teeming supporters and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to be steadfast and go about their noble job as members of the forth estate of the realm and watchdog of the society.”

The union also called on the state police command to investigate the crisis and bring the perpetrators to book.

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