Imo NUJ Calls For Strict Investigations Over Alozie’s Allegation of Uzodimma’s Correspondent Chapel Missing Vehicle.
Amb. Anselem Anokwute
In a press release from the Imo State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, expressing disappointments on the Correspondent’s Chapel Chairman, Mr. Chinonso Alozie, alleged involvement in stealing and selling of the brand new Mercedes Bus donated to the Chapel by the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma few months ago.
NUJ State Chairman, & Secretary Comrade Precious Nwadike and Comrade Ori Martin, openly stated that the group of Journalists working with Alozie are good in selling public property and called on the Imo State Police Command for indepth investigations and prosecution of the culprits if find culpable.
The Press release stated as follows,
“The arrest and detention of Mr. Chinonso Alozie, the Vanguard newspaper’s correspondent in Imo State, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Owerri, did not come to us as a surprise.
Alozie was arrested on the instruction of the Imo State Government following the allegation that he sold a brand new Mercedes Van, donated by the administration of Sen. Hope Uzodimma to the Correspondents’ Chapel, Owerri, barely six months ago.
Based on the fundamental rule of law which stipulates that an accused is deemed innocent until proven guilty, we therefore take it that Alozie is still innocent until he is found guilty of this odious criminality, by the relevant agencies of law.
However, we recall with regret that Alozie was a visible member of the group which, parading themselves as members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Chapter, sold our collective heritage and commonwealth, the magnificent NUJ secretariat strategically located at the ever lively Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.
It took the intervention of the Integrity Group of the NUJ to resist and repel that illegal move.
Just few months ago, an Owerri High Court ruled that the ‘rogue’ action is null and void.
The allusion here is that while Alozie had been arrested for this dubious and dirty deal, the security agencies, based on the antecedent of the group Alozie belongs to, which has been shown to have the penchant for illegally selling off whatever belongs to either the NUJ or the Correspondents Chapel, should do well to effectively beam their searchlight on other members of Alozie’s group.
The point is, we, the Integrity Group of Imo NUJ have been shouting and pointing fingers at this Alozie’s group, warning about their mischief as well as non-professional approaches to issues, but no one cared to listen.
If the case at hand did not involve selling of a vehicle donated to the Union by the Imo State Government, the Commissioner of Information, Declan Emelumba and other officials of the government, may have been their chief supporters, and would not have been bothered to take such bold step to petition and arrest the suspect.
For record purposes, we have neither returned Alozie guilty, nor have we said he is innocent. We are only telling the public that his group sold our NUJ secretariat and on several occasions invaded our premises with the support of the immediate former national chairman, Chris Isiguzo.
This vile attempt to sell off the NUJ secretariat, was a topic in public space for several years, yet, Government said nothing and did nothing to recover the legacy project donated by a former Military Administrator in the state, until the NUJ Integrity Group initiated necessary legal actions.
As a matter of fact, government functioneries were backing them with Police support and clearly enabled the atrocious act.
The resilience of the NUJ Integrity group however paid off as the court of law nullified the criminal sale of the secretariat.
In a nutshell, what Alozie is being accused of today is exactly the same thing we were shouting about while everyone turned a deaf ear.
If government functioneries had taken a responsible stance on the matter and told the rogue merchants that wanted to sell our union secretariat that the action was unacceptable, Chinonso Alozie may not have summoned the courage to allegedly fling the Mercedes Vehicle donated to the Chapel by Governor Hope Uzodimma, just few months a go.
Apparently, he expected their backing like they did in the attempted sale of NUJ secretariat, but like they say: “Everyday for the thief, but one day for the owner of the house.”
While we await the final decision of the law/government on this matter, may their co-travellers, who are still waiting for their own opportunity to unleash the beast in them, learn a few lessons from Mr. Chinonso Alozie’s current misadventure” says Comrade Precious Nwadike.