The South West zone of the Nigera Union of Journalists (NUJ) has appointed Comrade Bamigbola Gbolagunte as the acting Vice President of the union in the zone.
Bamigbola who was until his appointment the zonal secretary of the union was unanimously endorsed by five of the six state councils that make up the zone.
The union at an emergency zonal meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday and attended by chairmen and secretaries of Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun State councils of the union endorsed Bamigbola following the retirement of the former Vice President of the zone, Mr Cosmas Oni.
Oni who retired in August last year from the services of Oyo State government had served as two terms Vice President of the zone.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the union observed that constitution must be followed in running the affairs of the union and resolved that Oni vacate his office in line with Article 6(8) of the Union’s constitution.
The communique reads “having critically looked at the petitions from representatives of three chapels of Oyo Council over the status of the Vice President, Zone B, Mr. Cosmas Oni, the meeting recommends that the medium claimed Oni (Kings FM Ibadan) is not a registered chapel by the Oyo State Council and this negates his financial membership status as stated in Article 4 (1a) of the Constitution of NUJ.
“That Oni retired on 19th August 2020 and has exhausted the six months grace period provided by the Constitution of the union.
“That Oni shall cease to hold the position based on the fact that he has exhausted his six months constitutional grace in line with Article 6 (8) of the union’s constitution.
“That the Zonal Secretary, Mr. Bamigbola Gbolagunte should hold forth as the acting Vice-President of the zone pending the conduct of a bye election that will produce a substantive Vice President.
“The Zonal leaders condemned in entirety an assault on a member of Osun State Council, Adeniyi Akinromade of OSBC by Ambassador Adejare Bello and called on him to publicly apologise.
“The zone commended Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for donating Hummer Buses to Lagos and Oyo councils of NUJ respectively.
“The Zone also called on other South West Governors and leaders to emulate this good gesture towards journalists in their respective states,” the communique added.
