Anambra NUJ Chairman suspended for anti-union activities, record manipulations, others

 

Maduako Igbokwe I Wednesday, April 02, 2025

 

AWKA, Nigeria – The Anambra State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has suspended Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu for manipulating records in order to contest the recently held state NUJ elections.

The chapel also accused him of multiple constitutional violations and a betrayal of trust, particularly citing his pressure on the chapel chairman, Chief Chuks Ilozue, to direct members’ check-off dues into a private account.

In a statement signed by the chairman, Chief Chuks Ilozue, and the secretary, Lucy Osuizigbo, the chapel also accused Dr. Odogwu of deliberately attempting to undermine the chapel for reasons unknown.

The statement emphasized that such attempts to destroy the Correspondents’ Chapel would not succeed, as the chapel is committed to its survival.

The chapel stated that Dr. Odogwu manipulated records during the recent Anambra State NUJ elections by falsely claiming membership of the Correspondents’ Chapel and contesting the NUJ council election without proper clearance from the chapel’s leadership.

The chapel noted that Odogwu has a clear attempt to cripple the chapel, and it vowed to fight for its survival, pointing out that a chapel unable to hold meetings and perform other necessary activities is on the verge of collapse.

In light of these infractions, the chapel has decided to suspend Dr. Odogwu’s membership with immediate effect.

According to the chapel, the suspension is primarily due to Dr. Odogwu’s manipulation of records during the Anambra State NUJ election, where he falsely claimed to be a member of the Correspondents’ Chapel and contested the NUJ council election without clearance from the chapel’s leadership. This breach of trust is particularly egregious given his position as a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which renders him ineligible for membership in the Correspondents’ Chapel.

Furthermore, his decision to report internal chapel matters to the Department of State Services (DSS) without exhausting internal resolution mechanisms is viewed as a serious infraction.

Additionally, his directive to Chief Chuks Ilozue to have members’ check-off dues and practicing fees paid into a private account rather than the union’s designated account is considered a blatant violation of union rules.

The statement in full :

Re: Disclaimer: Anambra State Correspondents’ Chapel Inaugurates New Leadership: Setting the Record Straight

We do not intend to join issues with the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) knowing that we are still one family. We, however, wish to set the record straight.
1. On the tenure of Chief Chuks Ilozue: Chief Ilozue’s tenure elapsed on July 27, 2024 and in the Chapel’s monthly meeting of June 2024, he duly announced it whereupon a motion was moved and sustained that the incumbent administration should run for another term.
2. Knowing the stipulations of NUJ constitution that election observed by the state council must be held to make the leadership legitimate, the chapel wrote to NUJ in a letter dated June 3, 2024 informing it about the resolution.
3. Nevertheless, the Chapel once again wrote to NUJ forwarding list of members of the electoral/ Credentials committee for approval.

4. The NUJ wrote back to the Chapel in a letter dated July 10, 2024, approving the election but advising that members of the electoral/Credentials committee as well as contenders and voters must pay all dues prescribed in NUJ constitution.

5. However, just as the chapel prepared for the election, the chairman of NUJ, Emeka Odogwu in an event at UNIZIK took the chairman (Ilozue) to a corner and claimed that he sourced money privately and paid the check-off dues of the chapel and should be refunded.

6. Odogwu explained that was the reason he asked the chairman to pay his own check-off dues and practicing fees into a private bank account which the chairman Ilozue refused.

7. This going back and forth continued until the chapel decided to hold its election on September 11, 2024.

8. Surprisingly, on September 9, 2024, chairman, Ilozue, got a call from the Department of State Security Service (DSS), asking that the election be put on hold, citing unresolved grey areas. Afterwards, Ilozue travelled.

9. On his return, he met with DSS officials who after discussion asked him to write to them stating when the Chapel’s election will hold.

10. The chapel wrote the DSS in a letter dated March 4, 2025, notifying them that the Chapel’s election would hold as Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

11. Again on March 17, 2025, DSS office called to inform the chairman, Ilozue that Odogwu was mounting pressure on it asking that the election should not hold.

12. In the light of this, the chapel observed that Odogwu deliberately wanted to cripple the chapel and, therefore, the chapel must fight for survival. A chapel that fails to hold meetings and other activities is on the brink of extinction.

THE ISSUE OF CHECK-OFF DUES AND PRACTICE FEES:

13. It should be noted that more than half of members of the Chapel have their check-off dues drawn by the union at source, while most of the remaining members already have their practicing fees paid to the chapel ahead of the election.

14. It is important to note, however, that Odogwu, who claimed to have settled the chapel’s debt to the council, did so without consulting the Chapel chairman about the payment proposal, the number of members paid for or the amount that was actually paid.

15. If Odogwu claimed to have cleared the Chapel’s debt, why were members disenfranchised during the last NUJ Anambra Council election?

16. These are seen as an afterthought, having failed to get chapel members to pay money accruable to the council into his private account or those of his lackeys.

17. It is for this dilemma of paying Council’s money into private account that the chapel has not been able to remit the practicing fees it has so far realized from members to the council.

18. In the final analysis the Chapel, at the March Monthly Congress, decided to affirm the leadership of Ilozue by returning all those who indicated interest and were cleared for election.
Meanwhile, the chapel has decided to suspend the membership of
Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, with immediate effect.
The suspension stems from his manipulation of records in the last Anambra State NUJ election, where he falsely claimed membership of the Correspondents’ Chapel and contested the Anambra NUJ council election without clearance from the chapel’s leadership.

This action constitutes a serious breach of trust and impunity, particularly given his status as a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which renders him ineligible for membership in the Correspondents’ Chapel.

Furthermore, his decision to report internal chapel affairs to the DSS without exhausting internal mechanisms is a serious infraction.

Additionally, his instruction to the Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman, Chief Chuks Ilozue, to pay members’ check-off dues and practicing fees into a private account instead of the union’s account is deemed a blatant disregard for rules.

In the light of these infractions, the Correspondents’ Chapel has suspended Odogwu pending his purging of these offences.

E-signed

Chuks Ilozue
Chairman

 

Lucy Osuizigbo
Secretary