The Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Sunday unanimously agreed that the B Zone Vice President, Comrade Cosmas Olalekan Oni should vacate the office, having retired from the active service of State Government since August 2020.
Decrying in strong term, the sit tight syndrome of some elders, who having served out their time, failed to leave the stage for others to excel, regretted that it came to the inevitable conclusion that the Union’s constitution must be protected by all means.
The union in a communique released by the Union’s Secretary, Comrade Sola Oladapo, was issued and signed by the communique drafting Committee chairman; Sola Samuel-Ojewole, Dupe Fehintola and Musiliudeen Adebayo, respectively.
The above was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the union monthly Congress held at the Iyaganku Secretariat of the NUJ in Ibadan.
The Congress quoted Article 6 section 8, which stipulated that six months after retirement, any office holder of the union should vacate such office and give room for the conduct of a bye-election.
According to the Congress, Oni had retired in August last year, which made it six months in February 2021, ought to have honourably leave the office, especially when the ovation was loudest.
Meanwhile, the congress urged the federal government to beef up security network nationwide for the security of lives and Property.
The Congress decried the arrest of only Yoruba suspects aftermath of a recent Sasa public disturbance, putting questions on the security agents’ partial operational approach.
The union also said the government at all level should put up synergy to end porous Security network across Nigeria, to safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity.
The communique reads in part; “That the Congress noted that since Vice President B Zone had retired since August 19, 2020 and ceases to be member of OYO NUJ under the platform through which he became the VP and in accordance with the NUJ constitution (Article 6 (8) that if any officer retires or becomes unemployed, he shall be allowed to continue in office for six months after which, he ceases to be a member of NUJ, no such person should have right to hold office and the post shall be filled through a bye-election.
“That in line with the above Article 6 section 8, Comrade Cosmas Olalekan Oni must vacate his post and stop parading himself as VP B Zone henceforth.
“That in line with the prevailing developmental projects and more importantly; newly launched 30-acre land Journalists Estate on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the novel take off, of the Journalists Trust Fund to provide free interest loans and cater for members in distress, the Ademola Babalola-led Union leadership was given a pat on the back and eulogised for making giant strides in positioning Oyo NUJ as truly Pacesetter Council in the comity of other State Councils in the Union.”
