From David Hassan, Gombe
The Correspondents Chapel of Gombe NUJ state Council has inaugurated it’s new executives.
Mr. Hudu Shehu of Radio Nigeria was sworn- in the Chairman of the Chapel, at he inaugural ceremony, which took place inside the Chapel Secretariat, in Gombe.
Other members inaugurated include Peter Umumarogie of News Agency of Nigeria as Secretary, Najib Sani of Leadership Newspaper Vice-chairman, while Sadiq Njoboli of the Voice of Nigeria as treasurer. All executives were returned unopposed.
Mr. Shu’aibu Umar, the Secretary of the Gombe State Chapter of the NUJ, while inaugurating the new executives, charged the chapel to keep up the great bond existing amongst them.
Umar expressed satisfaction with the manner with which the electoral process was conducted with understanding.
He urged them to justify the essence of their election and to uphold the integrity of the profession as journalists.
He described the Gombe NUJ Correspondents as the main image of journalism in the state because of their vibrancy, while urging them to continue in that light for the enhanced image of the NUJ in the state.
He also solicited for the support of the chapel in strengthening the NUJ in the state because of the tremendous influence the chapel had across the state.
“So, please, when we call one or two in this chapel to please guide us in doing one thing or the other, please cooperate with us.
“After all, unionism is not a one-man’s activity. It must be a teamwork, so that together we can achieve greater success,” said Mr. Umar.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Electoral and Credentials Committee, Mr. Haruna Gimba, said the constitution was strictly complied with in the conduct of the elections.
Gimba said that competence and experience stood out as criteria for electing the new officials.
He said Nigerians should learn from the precedence set by the chapel because the process was conducted without any bias as the new officials were voted based on merit and the recommendations by others.
Gimba advised the newly inaugurated executives to ensure strict adherence to the constitution of the NUJ in the conduct of their activities.
In his acceptance speech, Shehu pledged that he would uphold professionalism and ensure that he built on the successes recorded by the immediate chairperson of the chapel, Ms Hajara Leman of the News Agency of Nigeria.
He said he would focus on enhanced image of the chapel members and by extension, the image of journalism in Gombe State, by sticking to the ethics of the profession.
“We are trying to see that we continue from where the previous executives stopped in trying to uphold the image of journalists in Gombe State, as members relate with the government and other people and organisations in the state.”
He said the new executives would discuss ways of expand the revenue base of the chapel, so that enough funds would be raised to increase the coverage of the state and reach the hinterlands and tell the grassroots stories.
He thanked members of the past executives, NUJ officials and members of the Electoral Committee members for conducting a hitch-free election.
In her valedictory speech, the outgone Chairperson of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Ms Hajara Leman thanked members of the chapel for the opportunity to serve and urged the new executives to always feel free to approach her on any matter in which she could assist.
Leman also urged the new officials to build on the successes she and her team members achieved, thereby taking the chapel to greater heights.
