Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has ordered the demolition of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Secretariat at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
The governor who gave the order through the Commissioner of Information, Rivers State, Mrs. Ibim Seminitari said the building has defaced the area for a long time.
She told journalists during a press interview at the weekend that the gesture to build the NUJ secretariat was to advance community journalism and to increase the responsibility of journalists to be the watchdog of the society.
The information boss said the project is in the 2012 budget, approved by the appropriate authority and that the project will be completed before the end of the year.
When asked how much the secretariat will cost, she said the cost which will include the building and furnishing, is N300m and that it would be delivered on time.
Mrs. Seminitari used the occasion to call on journalists to be objective in their report and cross check their facts before publishing such report.
Earlier, the permanent secretary, ministry of Information, Mrs. Jokotade Adawu who is also the chairman of tender’s board, had told journalists that the advertisement for the building of the NUJ secretariat will be published in one National and local newspaper, as the law required, while promising a quick delivery of the secretariat as soon as possible within the time frame.
Mrs. Adamu said the secretariat was long overdue for the governor to commission this year.
In his part, the NUJ chairman, Rivers State, Mr. Dokubo Opaka, commended the government of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi for taking the bold step to rebuild the secretariat which was deroofed by the wind some years ago.
Mr. Opaka told journalists that the collaboration between the government and the union will have nothing to do with writing or investigating of government activities.
He said all over the world government collaborates with unions like the NUJ which has no interference in doing their legitimate job.
The NUJ chairman said, as the watch dog of the society the body owes a duty of informing the public at all times without fear or favour.
It would be recalled that the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Port Harcourt was one of the oldest buildings defacing Moscow Road, since it was deroofed some years ago. ###
Pius Dukor
