In order to forestall future occurrences, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Delta State Council has called for the arrest, investigation as well as prosecution of officials of the Delta State task force on Environment for attacking its Chairman, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu and Matthew Omonigho, DAILY POST correspondent.
The NUJ made the call in a statement signed by its Assistant Secretary, Comrade Celestine Afokoba.
The NUJ noted that its Chairman, Ikeogwu and Matthew Omonigho were monitoring the level of compliance with the stay-at-home directive when the incident occurred on Wednesday, April 1.
The Overzealous task force officials in the process destroyed their Nikon D3100 photo camera at Otitio Street in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The NUJ also condemned the unwarranted attack of its Chairman in strong terms.
Describing the attack as barbaric, wicked, primitive and ludicrous, the statement said the decision of the task force led by one Kingsley Iweka to come out under the guise of carrying out environmental sanitation duties when they were supposed to comply with the social distancing order was a great disservice to the state government’s efforts to curtail the spread of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
“It is expedient to note that in the directive issued by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, environmental sanitation officials were not among those listed to carry out their duties during the stay-at-home period.
“It is, therefore, very appalling and totally unacceptable to see members of the task force numbering over 20 unleashing hostility on Ikeogwu and Omonigho because they sought to know why people were being gathered to carry out environmental sanitation when they were expected to comply with the social distancing rule and stay-at-home order.”
The statement added that, rather than the task to retrace their step and tender unreserved apology to NUJ Chairman and members of the pen profession for the uncivilized behaviour, they had resorted to blackmailing Comrade Ikeogwu with a spurious and fabricated story in the social media.
The NUJ, however, called on Governor of Delta State, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to caution some of his media aides who had also gone to the social media to comment on issues they were not knowledgeable about with special reference to Fred Latimore who didn’t bother to call the NUJ Chairman but went ahead to put up a weak defence for the rampaging Environmental Task Force.
“We wish to state unequivocally, that the NUJ Delta State council will not succumb to any form of intimidation in discharging its constitutional responsibility, as we call on our members to be law-abiding and also observe the social distancing order while monitoring the exercise.”
The Council further assured that some unruly government officials will not distort the mutual understanding between the union and the state government.
