Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi state chapter, yesterday said they rented office to discharge their duties effectively and not to fight the state government as being speculated in many quarters.
The journalists said they have a cordial relationship with the state government which has remained unbroken since the inception of the government in 2015.
Chairman of the chapel, Comrade Jacob Ogodo stated this in an interview.
He noted that the chapel did not rent the office to fight the Umahi administration in the state as generally believed by people but to enable the members discharge their duties diligently.
Ogodo said members of the chapel will continue to partner Governor David Umahi in developing the state and commended him for massive infrastructural development in the state.
“Let me make it clear that we did not rent our office to fight the state government as people believe. All over the country, correspondent chapel have their offices outside government house and it makes them to be alive to their duties and that is what we have done.
“Our Governor has done wonderfully well in developing our dear state and we will continue to partner his administration by reporting the policies and programmes of his administration effectively.
“Those saying that we rented office to fight the Governor or his administration want to create enemity between the government and the chapel or blackmail the chapel before the state government. Such people should look elsewhere to sell their gossips.
On the recent misunderstanding between the chapel and the government, Ogodo described it as father and son matter which he said has since been resolved and advised those who said that it was the misunderstanding that warranted the chapel to rent the office to have a change of mind.
He observed that some journalists have been practicing their profession for material gains and advised media practitioners in the state to always carry out their statutory duties of reporting events objectively within the ethics of the profession and within the ambit of the law.
The Chairman warned that the chapel will not hesitate to sanction any member who goes contrary to the ethics of the journalism profession or who offers himself as a tool by politicians to destroy their opponents.