Group petitions Aiyedatiwa over NUJ, Owena press dispute
A media advocacy group, Journalists Against Corruption, has petitioned Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over what it describes as the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ondo State Council’s undue interference in the internal affairs of Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope newspapers.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, JAC, represented by its Programmes Coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the ongoing controversy involving Mr. Segun Olatunji, recently appointed as the Daily Editor of The Hope newspapers.
The group claimed that NUJ’s involvement, allegedly backed by certain political figures in the state, had disrupted the operations of the media company.
The advocacy group expressed shock over what it termed discriminatory treatment against Olatunji, accusing NUJ of opposing his appointment on ethnic grounds.
The petition was copied to notable media bodies, such as the NUJ President, the International Press Institute Nigeria, Media Rights Agenda, and the International Press Centre.
The petition to Governor Aiyedatiwa partly read, “The above scenario is clearly unheard-of, regressive and tantamount to blocking the will of progress of the recuperating newspaper titles.
It is also against the laws of the land for someone to be discriminated against on the basis of his or her state of origin and for a Nigerian to be regarded, addressed and treated as an alien in any part of Nigeria.
“We believe strongly that the opponents of the ongoing reorganisation in Owena Newspapers, specifically opposed to the appointment of Segun Olatunji as the daily editor, did not and could not have represented the Ondo State Government and the Nigerian Union of Journalists in the state.”
JAC emphasised the importance of merit-based appointments, citing examples of Nigerians serving outside their states of origin in various capacities.
It urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to uphold these values and prevent ethnic discrimination in Ondo State’s media industry.
The petition concluded with a call for urgent intervention to protect journalism’s integrity and ensure that ethnicity does not undermine progress in Ondo State under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration.
