By Ameh Gabriel
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has revealed significant financial mismanagement allegedly committed by its past leadership, following an internal probe aimed at cleaning up the union’s finances.
At a press briefing in Abuja, the Council unveiled the findings of a special committee set up earlier this year by the NUJ Congress. The five-member panel, chaired by veteran journalist Tony Akowe and supported by Ndubueze Chidoka (Secretary), Akin Orimolade, Princess Ekwi Ajide, and Imam Umar, reviewed financial activities between December 2018 and October 2021 covering the tenures of former chairmen Emmanuel Ogbeche and Patrick Osadebamwen.
Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, said the audit aimed to restore transparency following years of opaque administration.
According to the committee’s report, a disturbing lack of accountability characterized the period under review. No official handover notes were provided, and many former officials reportedly refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Among the most alarming discoveries was the undocumented use of over N33 million collected as rent, without any tenancy agreements or lease documentation. Additional questionable transactions included N220,000 described as check-off dues and N392,000 under chapel remittances, both lacking supporting evidence.
The committee also flagged a suspicious transaction involving Canopy Global Investment Limited, owned by Chief Oti Chidiebere. Records showed the company paid N24.5 million into the NUJ-FCT UBA account in July 2020, but only N14 million was reflected in the union’s financial books, leaving a discrepancy of N10.5 million. Despite Chief Oti presenting payment evidence, no receipt or acknowledgment was issued by the union.
Further compounding concerns was the unexplained merger of a $148,000 dollar account balance into a naira account, recorded at just N6.148 million, with no documentation to support the conversion rate used.
In response, the committee recommended that the matter be escalated to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for thorough investigation. It also urged the Council to bar indicted individuals from accessing union accounts and renegotiate all existing lease agreements through licensed valuers.
The NUJ-FCT Congress unanimously adopted the committee’s report during its sitting on April 12. As part of the resolutions, the Congress voted to dissociate the Council from Emmanuel Ogbeche, Patrick Osadebamwen, and Ochiaka Ugwu, prohibiting them from conducting any business on behalf of the union or accessing its finances. Additionally, Mrs. Gloria Essien was removed as the NUJ-FCT’s representative at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) due to her failure to cooperate with the probe.
Symbolically, the Congress ordered the removal of portraits of the former chairmen from the NUJ Secretariat and announced plans to issue a public disclaimer warning government bodies, diplomatic missions, and corporate organizations against dealing with the named individuals.
Letters communicating the findings and resolutions will also be sent to the employers of those implicated.
Reaffirming the Council’s commitment to integrity, Comrade Grace Ike stated, “This union belongs to its members. We are determined to protect its image and will not tolerate any form of financial misconduct.”
