DELTA NUJ, POLICE SINK DIFFERENCES, AGREE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS

The State Working Committee of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has visited the Delta State Police Command with a call on the Commissioner of Police, Adeyinka Adeleke, to join forces with the union to rid the pen profession of quacks.

The state chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu, who led the visit, said it was in line with the council’s tradition of familiarization visits to heads of security agencies in the state to seek symbiotic working relationships in the line of duty.

Ikeogwu used the opportunity to clarify that the leadership of the NUJ Delta State Council, had no problem with the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command.

He urged CP Adeyinka to strengthen the office of the Police Public Relations Officer to enable it promptly respond to emergency situations, adding that the office was key to enhancing the working relationship of Journalists with the police.

While commending the CP for inviting the leadership of the union to discuss and streamline areas of mutual concerns, Comrade Ikeogwu appealed to the CP to caution his officers and men against harassing and molesting Journalists while on duty.

Responding, CP Adeleke appreciated the State Executive of the NUJ for honouring the Command’s invitation to discuss issues bordering on progressive partnership and synergy

He, however, tendered an apology on behalf of the Command for the procedural error, which pitched the union against the State Police Command.

CP Adeleke said as a practical officer who had worked with the media at various levels, he would not ordinarily override the Union in dealing with its members, knowing the Constitutional empowerment to the NUJ as an umbrella body of all Journalists.

He appealed to the Council to pardon the 25 of its members who attended a police function at the Officers’ Mess, Okwe, in disregard for the union’s directive.

The CP assured the NUJ of the Command’s cooperation and the need to strengthen the office of the PPRO to respond faster to journalists even though they also have their modules of operation.

On alleged molestation, the CP said people in various groups and organisations behaved differently and the police was not an exception, promising to continue to address the issues of misconduct and abuses on the part of the police.

The CP assured the union of cooperation in ridding the state of quacks and fake Journalists, maintaining that his men were prepared to respond to calls from the NUJ to arrest and prosecute impostors who had continued to paint the journalism profession black.

The State Council of the NUJ recently suspended 17 of its members and 8 others for attending a dinner at the instance of the State Commissioner of Police after it had directed the members should shun the event because the CP had on two occasions allegedly called the union bluff

A source close to the CP, however, denied the allegation, explaining that the CP’s inability to honour the request of the union’s executive to see him was due to a tight schedule and not a slight.