Kaduna NUJ Council will be blessed with credible leadership – NNN MD
By; Jacob Onjewu Dickson, Kaduna.
The incoming executive committee members of the Kaduna State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) will be blessed with quality leadership, no matter who wins the councils polls slated for December 15, 2015, Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN), Malam Tukur Abdulrahman has observed.
He made the observation, when he gave audience to one of the aspirants, Alhaji Mohammed Garba who visited the company’s corporate head office in Kaduna on Thursday.
According to the MD, the three contenders for the chairmanship position, Alhaji Garba Mohammed, Alhaji Ismail Omipidan and Luka Binniyat are all credible, and whoever emerges from the elections, would be a blessing to journalists in Kaduna.
“The three contestants are responsible and reasonable people, I am confident that whoever emerges at the end of the day will run the union very well,” he emphasized.
He advised all the contestants to always surround themselves with equally good hands, so that their success can be near perfect.
Speaking earlier, Campaign DG of the Alhaji Garba Mohammed team, Mallam Inuwa Kajuru told the NNN management that he agreed to lead the team because his candidate was the best man for the job.
“Whatever he has, he shares with others around him, we believe Garba is the right man and he would receive support from NNN,” he added.
Also on a campaign tour to NNN on Thursday, acting chairman of Kaduna NUJ Council, Alhaji Ismail Omipidan who is also an aspirant for the chairmanship, arrived with his campaign team and solicited for the support of the editorial staff of the company.
While speaking, he told his hosts that he was vying for the position to uplift the standard of journalists in the state. He explained that his career in journalism which spans over 18 years began in Kaduna and he would give his best at ensuring that the council stands out if voted in.
“On NNN I am happy that you have called-off your strike. We would support you in ensuring you regain your lost glory through persuasion and intercession with the Northern Governors, who are currently led by the Governor of Borno State, who is a good friend,” he added.
For the campaign team of Luka Binniyat, it was like home coming as he was accompanied on his campaign to NNN by former council chairman and New Nigeria Weekly Editor, Andrew Fadason, retired veteran NNN staff; Alhaji Tajudeen and his campaign coordinator, Amos Mathew who is a staff of the company and immediate past NNN NUJ Acting Chairman.
Alhaji Tajudeen recalled that in the past, NNN was the top media organization in the North and Nigeria at large, with edifices in top cities in the country.
He said that regaining its lost glory was possible only through goodwill from the stakeholders, including the NUJ Kaduna State Council.
He explained that initially he didn’t pitch his tent with any of the aspirants but settled for Binniyat because he believed in the visionary leadership he would be bringing on board if voted.
On his part, Binniyat appealed to NNN staff to give him their support, promising to mobilize the entire journalists in Kaduna to champion their cause, if given the mandate.
Other notable aspirants that were at the NNN head office on Thursday included present Secretary Kaduna NUJ, Dominic Uzu who is vying for the post of Vice Chairman and Zhiro Jairus Jatau who is also vying for the same Vice Charmanship position with the NAWOJ team.
All the campaign teams were received in the NNN newsroom by the chapel under the chairmanship of Alhaji Abdull-Azeez Ahmed Kadir who promised all a level playing ground.
