By Omonijo Abiodun, 5th November, 2024
News SOCIETY WATCH following for you ; Sola Akingboye, Editor of RegentAfrica Times and a member of the Credential Committee for the NUJ Abuja Council, has vowed to pursue legal action against journalists Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa and Kehinde Akintola. He has given them a 24-hour ultimatum to retract their allegations of attempted forgery or face a lawsuit for criminal libel.
In a press statement signed by ‘Sola Akingboye, the Editor of RegentAfrica Times and the current Acting General Secretary of Corporate Online Editors, accused of attempting to conspire to forge the NUJ Identity Card and corresponding payment receipt, the Journalist viewed the allegation as a deliberate attempt to damage his hard-earned integrity, and harm to his career as a professional journalist. He attributes the accusations to what he describes as desperate agents of aggressive candidates in the upcoming FCT Council elections.
Recalled over the weekend that, a petition was reportedly submitted to the national secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). This petition was signed by two journalists who accused Sola Akingboye and two others of attempting to falsify the NUJ Identity Card and related payment receipts. These allegations were subsequently reported across multiple Online newspapers even before the NUJ had the opportunity to respond to the petition if a response was forthcoming.
Tagged: “NUJ FCT Elections: Aggrieved NUJ Members Seek Disqualification of Two Credential Committee Members, signed by Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa, from the Federal Ministry of Information Chapel, and Kehinde Akintola from the FCT Correspondents Chapel. The petitioners noted that they are petitioning the NUJ National President and raising concerns about a potential plot to forge receipts and ID cards for Credential Committee members.
Meanwhile, ‘Sola Akingboye, has made a vow to explore all available legal means to seek justice against the two journalists. Akingboye called on the signatories of the publication and their associates to publicly retract the criminal allegations and issue an unreserved apology within 24 hours, or face a lawsuit for criminal libel in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Given consultations with my legal team, I wish to inform Umoru Alexander Ojonugwa and Kehinde Akintola of the impending legal action over these baseless allegations,” Akingboye stated.
“It is unacceptable that they chose to go to the press without waiting for the outcomes of their petition and any invitation from the National Secretariat regarding the matter, demonstrating a clear intent to damage my reputation.”
He emphasized, “He who alleges must prove; failure to substantiate the claims of attempted forgery of the NUJ ID card will not go unchallenged in a court of law.”
In response to the allegations, Akingboye felt it necessary to clarify certain points to uphold the integrity of the journalism profession and set the record straight. As a member of the prestigious Credential Committee, he sees it as an honour to serve and aims to ensure due process and fairness in the upcoming NUJ-FCT Council election, in line with Article 6 Subsection (b5) of the NUJ Constitution.
“I will not engage in a war of words with political jobbers nor succumb to intimidation through unfounded petitions,”
“However, it is essential to address the reckless political aggression and the public forgery allegations made with utter disrespect for the established protocols—specifically, the need to await the investigation outcomes by the highest authority before rushing to make allegations in the press.” This issue is not resolved yet.” He stated.
He also posed a series of unanswered questions: “Have the petitioners considered that membership payments for the NUJ ID card are made through verified NUJ bank accounts at the national level?
“Do they realize that these payments are accompanied by specific dates and issuance periods for the ID cards, which are duly processed by the National body and signed by the National President of the NUJ?”
“The accusation of attempted forgery of the NUJ ID card directed at me is significant, and I am prepared to pursue all necessary legal avenues to seek justice promptly, should this individual fail to publicly retract the allegation and offer a sincere apology.
Regarding union membership, contrary to the misguided views of the petitioners, Article 3 Subsection 3(b) pertains to Associate members, not fully certified members of the NUJ to which I belong. It is noteworthy that these mischief makers, who label themselves as aggrieved parties, conveniently overlook Subsection 3(a). Article 3(a)(b), which pertains to Associate members, defines ‘Journalists operating on a freelance basis’ as associate members.
Sola Akingboye has consistently maintained his status as a professional member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and has never been an associate member throughout his extensive career in journalism. He possesses verifiable documentation of his payment of Professional Dues.
“I am an Editor, not a publisher given my membership of the Association of Corporate Online Editors and in line with the body’s resolutions at its various Congresses, including our registration status at the Corporate Affairs Commission; all our members are Editors and are qualified to contest NUJ elections and participate in all its activities at all level; this legal status separate us from a body such as GOCOP, a verifiable fact clearly stated in the ACOE constitution made available to the federal government of Nigeria through the CAC.
“As of Friday, 1st of November 2024, records of Membership Dues and payments were to be made available to the FCT Council by Monday 4th, upon a request by the union for the period under review. This request follows our appointment to the Credential Committee.
“Surprisingly, and out of desperation however, the anxious petitioners and sponsors hastily resorted to the media in an attempt to engage in character defamation, and I am using this opportunity to challenge members of our noble profession to request the highest body of the union to make public the payment and membership dues by the 5-man Credential Committee, including the two signatories to the so-called petition. This will clear the air on who is qualified or not in the team, not by frivolous petitions by desperate individuals.
“My NUJ ID Card, duly signed by the current leadership, is set to expire in April 2025; also in accordance with the resolutions made during the Ibadan Convention of the Union, I have fulfilled my renewal of the sum of N25,000 as of June 30, 2024, here attached.
“Wouldn’t the union recognise me as a journalist or an editor and go further to receive my membership fees in the instances sighted above? As what then? It thus appears that the petitioners and their associates may be misled, disillusioned confused and too much in haste to disseminate a calculated blackmail in the press as journalists.
“The act of framing a criminal allegation regarding an alleged forgery of the NUJ ID Card, aimed at destroying others in pursuit of personal gain, is both perplexing and a disgrace to the ethical standards we uphold as journalists. It raises serious concerns about the type of leadership these individuals would offer if they were to assume positions of authority within the NUJ caucus.
“This evident desperation to undermine my character is understandable, particularly in light of their failure to lure me over the Committee leadership tussle.
Understandably, their political strategies aimed at securing the Committee leadership for their candidates to lead the Credential Committee have resulted in considerable frustration.
Regrettably, the outcome of the leadership slot unfolded in a manner contrary to their expectations, especially after ‘Sola Akingboye refused to yield to their pressure and collaborate with them in manipulating the leadership of the Committee for undisclosed purposes.
“If situ the action demands, I will provide the audio recording that documents the process leading to the selection of Peter Asemokhai and Elizabeth Atteh as Chairman and Secretary of the Committee, respectively. This outcome was not well received by one of the candidates who initiated the voting method but became disappointed at the turn of events.
“All the above was captured in the audio recording. If my vote ultimately determined the leadership of the committee, and my choice to remain neutral without seeking a leadership position is deemed a sin committed before these individuals, I firmly assert that no external pressure will compel me to abandon my commitment to honesty and integrity in the principles I uphold.
“Also, if further pressed, I am prepared to present evidence of phone calls and recorded conversations earlier directed to me from certain quarters which may indicate attempts to influence the Committee’s key positions through voting.
“As an individual of integrity, whose guiding principles emphasize fairness and justice for all, I accepted the nomination not out of desperation or a lack of conscience, but as a genuine opportunity to serve an organization I deeply respect, the NUJ.
“I am committed to fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to us by the Constitution as the Credential Screening Committee, and no trivial newspaper articles will deter me from upholding the values; these are the principles I aim to defend regarding the Credential Committee nomination, rather than succumbing to the pressures of any candidate seeking to silence others.
“I would also like to clearly state that Sola Akingboye is not a candidate in the upcoming election, nor am I a desperate individual attempting to impose positions on any members of the Credential Committee; I have acted in what I believe to be the best interest of leadership selection through my voting.
“I take this opportunity to advise my colleagues who are contesting for various positions in the forthcoming FCT Election to proceed with caution and allow the appointed Credential Committee to perform their duties without outside interference, keeping in mind that this election will eventually pass, but the integrity of our esteemed profession must endure.
“In conclusion, I wish to assure the so-called ‘aggrieved petitioners’ that if the unfounded allegation of attempted forgery against me is not retracted within 24 hours, along with a formal apology, I will not hesitate to address this matter through the appropriate channels,” Akingboye stated.
