By Michael Olatunji
SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, Aug 18, 2020 As preparation for Nigeria Union of Journalists’ elections in Lagos State on September 29 this year gathers momentum, a top member of the Union in Lagos State is said to have perfected plans to present a fake diploma certificate for qualification to run for a top office in the NUJ Council.
It is authoritative that the Lagos-based NUJ serving officer does not possess necessary qualification for the influential office currently being held, in contravention of the Union’s constitutional requirement.
Very reliable information revealed the plot for the officer to present a forged certificate, to gain qualification for participation in next month’s elections, involves an influential Abuja-based journalist, who is currently enmeshed in various scandals including certificate forgery.
It is added that it also involves an NUJ State Council leader in a South-West State, as well as top members of an institution based in Ibadan, Capital of Oyo State.
Police authorities and the DSS as well as some top government officials in Lagos are already on alert for a thorough investigation, immediately the forged certificate is presented by the desperate Union official.
Several journalism bigwigs or top media personalities are reportedly having more than ordinary interest in the unfolding drama, being orchestrated by some external influence with an alleged political aim to destabilise Lagos.
This, according to sources, is in view of the role of the media in socio-political affairs of the country and a larger-than-life influence of a Lagos-based politician, whose speculated 2023 ambition is being indirectly targeted.
Some top government officials are reportedly neck-deep in the plot, working secretly through their agents, who are directly and indirectly involved in a monumental land and housing scam.
The masterminds of the housing scam in which over one thousand journalists or land subscribers were defrauded of more than N120 million naira are allegedly working round the clock to pervert justice.
Their major aim in that regard is to ensure the re-election of the desperate well-placed Union officer who has been quite pliant in scheme against the land subscribers’ interest, as the phoney project victims intensify call for justice and a refund of their money.
This is as the Abuja-based journalist also desperately seeks all means to protect the major culprits of the fraud, who have been established to have moved funds in many thousands of dollars and millions of naira into personal private accounts and those of cronies, without the authorisation or knowledge of owners of the money.
There are claims that the desperate Lagos NUJ top official, who does not have constitutional qualification for position being held, has been pencilled for a financial reward, to boot, for doing the dirty job to prevent prosecution of their criminal friends who are still working free.
Information had it that one of the means of rewarding the desperate hatchet person is assistance in procurement of a forged diploma certificate from the Ibadan-based institution, to qualify for a much-wanted re-election.
The NUJ official seeking re-election at all cost is reputed to be well grounded in forgery like the Abuja sponsors; having been involved in another certificate forgery currently being investigated in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the desperate outgoing Lagos NUJ officer would be expected to present a due official letter of release for the journalism-diploma programme in Ibadan, as well as transcripts and examination papers as a student of the journalism institution, when picked up by security operatives.
Nemesis is said to have caught up with the officer, who sources claimed to have been a thorn in the flesh of other office-seeking colleagues; emphasising that they must have constitutional qualification for any Union executive position.
The beleaguered NUJ official reportedly got over-zealous and blocked the list of the Chapel of a very influential journalist very close to a very powerful politician in Lagos.
Entreaties by the former Lagos State Commissioner for Information, who had also been a Special Adviser to the State Governor, a Local Government Chairman and former Chief Press Secretary to All Progressives Congress National Leader, for inclusion and recognition of the Chapel list he presented fell on deaf ears of the power drunken NUJ officer.
Not even a fact that the former Commissioner is a past Vice-chairman of NUJ in Lagos State would make the intransigent Union officer accept the Community Newspapers’ membership list, despite being one of the NUJ officials who inaugurated that Chapel.
It is believed the NUJ officer and some top government officials are already being monitored by powers-that-be, following allegations that they are working in collaboration with opposition elements to create crisis in Lagos.