by Charity Nnochiri, Abuja

 A lot is happening in the macro society , and much more in our micro society, the Nigeria Union of Journalists,  FCT Council. Even as the dust is yet to settle 
from the sack of inept and vision-less leadership.

 Now all eyes are on the youngman who was voted in as chairman of Council, Paul Ella Abechi. So much is expected from him, recalling he opined after his victory that "members' confidence will be restored, their fears will be no more because we have come to correct what has not been corrected"

 Incidentally, the FCT Council has never set before its leaders the challenge to achieve  a particular goal. Incoming chairpersons are often allowed the latitude to articulate and achieve  what they believe is best for the Council.

 Today any member of the Council would tell you that lack of a Press Centre is 
the most pressing need, some may disagree. The new Chairman agrees it is an important project, and  his body language on the way forward is to work it out.

 Nonetheless, from his actions, he firmly believes that other most pressing task 
is empowerment of members.Members who had been denied  their salaries for instance,  members  denied of  socio-economic rights.

 The best leaders are said to be those who stand for something bigger than themselves.
These leaders understand that the  present is nothing more than a platform for the envisioning of,  and positioning for the future. Building  strong membership for stronger Union in future appears to be Ella Abechi's agenda.

 To do that means challenging institutions and establishments that had like Egypt of old
enslaved journalists by making them work without pay: Barely weeks in office, he led sceptical members to picket the  Abuja Bureau of the Daily Independent newspapers  which owed journalists several months of  salary arrears. 
The bureau like its Lagos head office was successfully kept under lock and
key until its management began to do the needful

 Other newspapers houses in the FCT were also written to and warned of the consequences of refusing to pay journalists in their employ. Some reportedly entered into dialogue with the Council while others adopted a watch and see approach.

 And they must have been shocked to their bone marrow to see on live television, when Ella Abechi ably backed up by some fire-spitting members like Victorsen Agbenson, chairman of the  Federal Radio Corporation, FRCN chapel, the pragmatic and workaholic Secretary of Council,
Hajiya Rafat Salami and others to remind Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, publisher of National Mirror and Newswatch Daily that he is still owing his workers between eight to twelve months salary.

 The drama was short, but its impact riverbrated nationwide, and the message was not lost on Ibrahim, the self-acclaimed multi-millilonaire tycoon.

 Besides admonishing Ibrahim to pay or face the music, Ella Abechi was irked by the  irony of conferring national honours on disreputable citizens, and urged the 
the Federal Government to  "Strip Jimoh Ibrahim of his national honours 
until such a time he is able to pay thousands of Nigerian journalists 
in his employ or convince them that he is bankrupt and  unable to pay"

 Ella Abechi has showed from day one he is  not going to  play safe by simply sticking to the status quo. At his  first National Executive Council, NEC meeting, he became the cynosure of all  eyes by getting the suspension slammed on two of his members: Malachy Uzendu and Tony Icheku lifted, earning so much kudos in the process.

From all indications, he is not going to be content merely leading the people to a  particular direction or protecting  the status quo, one can only imagine the ripples that will follow.

 And the best is yet to come. For an all embracing empowerment of his colleagues Ella Abechi has promised to boost the Union's cooperative society with  N1 million  grant when membership hits 100 members. 

 It might be early days yet, but NUJ FCT council appears in Ella Abechi to have been blessed with a chairman that is innovative, visionary and people-centric. He needs yours and mine  prayers and support to make it work.