* Ella Abechi 


By Tony Icheku

 One may be wrong, but  this nagging personal conviction suggests  that Nigerians demand only the basics from their leaders – ‘Provide an enabling environment that would enhance  exploitation of  our God given talents’

  From a micro-community, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Council, this theory is being put to the test. The Council recently held its Executive Council election which  returned   an ebullient youngman, Paul Ella Abechi as Chairman.

 Ella Abechi’s election confirms  widely held belief that Nigerians have zero tolerance for megalomania. Unfortunately, the Chucks Ehirim/Emmanuel Ogbeche regime rejected by members typified such. They  slammed suspensions on members with impunity, curtailed freedom  of speech and association, frustrated the flowering of healthy discourse in improving the lot of FCT Council, besides  enthroning  lack of accountability and abuse of office. 

 Despite running a regime so brutish and nasty,  Ehirim  wanted  another term in office, while Ogbeche, former Secretary of Council,  wanted a shot at the Chairmanship.  But they received from members a shocker. Ehirim, as a sitting chairman could only stagger  in at a distant  third position when the votes were counted. Such is the beauty of democracy.

 That Ella Abechi, a fresh face emerged  chairman in the intellectually dynamic  NUJ politics is the stuff from which movies are made. He is yet to clock 100 days in office, but he has taken such dynamic and populist actions that one cannot but applaud  his intuitive  grasp of leading plus down to earth pragmatism.

 Attending his first NEC meeting in the historic city of Katsina, Katsina State, the FCT Council Chair without further ado intervened and succeeded in getting NEC to rescind  the  suspension of former Council Chairman and former Correspondents Chapel Chairman, Tony Icheku. Ordinarily, this would seem such a simple task, but not so.

 In retrospect, the suspension of the Uzendu and Icheku,  at different periods had hung like  an albatross on the necks of Ehirim and Ogbeche. Appeals were made, peace talks were held for settlement, but the duo wielding non-existing powers preffered to play the high and mighty. Even when leadership slipped through their feeble fingers, their heads like ostrich was neck-deep in sand.
But wearing a populist toga, Ella Abechi at his very first NEC got the suspension repealed, a matter the National Secretary, noted  ‘’had been allowed to persist unnecessarily’’ 

 The return of the Icheku and Uzendu has since ushered in a fresh burst of verve and camaraderie in the Council.

 Ella Abechi  equally promptly dealt with another rascality of the Ehirim/Ogbeche regime - their autocratically sitting on the fund pooled by members for the setting up of a cooperative society. Indeed, power-drunk Ogbeche , even at the expiration of his office wanted to hang on as an ‘impotent interim secretary’

 ‘’No, you can’t’’ Ella Abechi pointedly told him and promptly sacked the interim exco which never sat for once in 12 months.

 Significantly, he  recognised the philosophy  of cooperative societies, and  has challenged members who already staked interest to take charge of their affairs, instead of subjecting them to another committee.

 Recalling that Ehirim/Ogbeche  were forced to hold only one SEC meeting in three years which was an aberration,  Ella Abechi has since held his first SEC meeting, projecting to give the august body its recognition as the supreme organ of Council.

 From their laid-back approach to Council affairs, it is now obvious that stomach infrastructure  rather than member’s welfare motivated Ehirim/Ogbeche in their insipid stay in office. A particular sordid scenario during that sad era was seeing Ogbeche in full Council paraphernalia prostrating before a certain High Chief at his country home in Agenebode. This same man was owing his workers several months salaries. On this same day in Lagos, the Lagos Council chair, Deji Elumoye who was at THISDAY was picketing that newspaper house over non-payment of salaries of NUJ members.

 What has Ella Abechi done over non-payment of salaries for NUJ members? Abuja Council has since complimented Lagos Council by shutting down Daily Independence  whose management wanted to play hide and seek with journalists over unpaid salaries.

 Other media houses owing NUJ members have been put on notice, and some had in response to letter from Council explained  plans to meet their obligations to journalists in their establishment.
Moreover,  in the two Congresses he chaired,  Ella Abechi had  prompted  Congress to put the issue on the front burner, and advocated  that the Federal Government, FG take more than a passing interest in the palaver of not paying journalists in the private sector.

 At the October Congress, a communiqué was issued urging FG  to consider  bailout funds for affected media houses, just like State Governments, banks and others were given.  While the November Congress rose with another communiqué advising FG to withdraw National   Honours from proprietors of media owing their workers  and to equally consider fixing capital bases for the setting up of media firms.

 And for government-owned media establishment, Congress was informed that the equally vexed issue of IPPIS which had denied  the Council and chapels  much needed funds was being tackled with alacrity.

 For some inexplicable reasons, this write-up is censored on the issue of lack of accountability which was the modus operandi of the Ehirim/Ogbeche regime. But council members are very, very unhappy over the lack of transparency of that Exco:  Mr Akin Orimolade has put the issue in perspectives thus: ‘’People should be made to account for their stewardship, lets not politicise the issue, as journalists, we ask for accountability – how was the NUJ paraphernalia used, and how was our monies spent?’’

 And Prince Ebuwa Omo-Osagie warns: ‘’We are in an era of change, anybody that is corrupt is corrupt, those found culpable will be invited by EFCC’’. 
The issue is still unfolding, and form part of the challenges  Ella Abechi maintains must be resolved in the Council’s interest.

 Beyond  appreciating  Ella Abechi for striving to build a people-centric Union, we write to state the facts which tomorrow would gain significance when juxtaposed with yesterday.

 Additionally,  this write up is a clarion call for all hands to be on deck  as our brand new Chair, Ella Abechi steers Council through his  exposition of populist and dynamic voyage. Some egomaniacs may feel otherwise, but today the bright youngman has the compass, he understands the terrain and seems ready, capable of  steering  the Council to safe harbours.