The battle between the two unions which is said to have started a few weeks ago is connected to the forthcoming executive election of SWAN.
The Delta state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the state chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) are currently at loggerheads over what some have described as the ‘power of supremacy’.
The battle between the two unions which is said to have started a few weeks ago is connected to the forthcoming executive election of SWAN.
The NUJ had warned its members not to participate in the election because it was allegedly not carried along in the process as the parent body of the writers’ association.
NUJ vowed that any member of the union who flouts its orders and participates in the SWAN election would be sanctioned and immediately suspended.
A statement signed by the Delta State council chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Michael Ikeogwu and the Secretary, Patrick Ochei, obtained by SaharaReporters, called on members in the state to distance themselves from the election of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), slated to take place on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
The statement said, “The Union in the State, being the umbrella body of all practicing journalists, including members of SWAN and NAWOJ chapters of the NUJ calls on all and sundry not to participate in the SWAN forthcoming election.
“It is a constitutional provision that SWAN election must be supervised by the NUJ, being an affiliate of the union whose members must also be registered Journalists. It is on this note that we call on registered members of NUJ Delta state council, not to participate in any SWAN election not endorsed by the Council.
“Let it be known that the council will not hesitate to invoke relevant sections of the NUJ constitution to discipline its registered members who may flout this directive.”
“We hereby advise the Security Agencies to take note of this illegal mission of the SWAN leadership in the State and deal decisively with anybody who gathers under SWAN in Delta to conduct any election," NUJ warned.
Meanwhile, a counter-statement, signed by the state chairman of SWAN, Azuka Chiemeke and its Secretary, Bridget Agetu and obtained by SaharaReporters, urged its members to ignore what it called "threats" by the Delta NUJ council.
It described as unconstitutional and illegal the call by the state NUJ council for the suspension of the election of the writers’ association. It also condemned NUJ’s threats to sanction its members who participate in SWAN activities and the election.
It said, "Ordinarily, we would have ignored the statement but it is necessary to set the records straight in the interest of the general public and members of both SWAN and the NUJ.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to establish as has been done severally that SWAN is completely independent of the NUJ, that SWAN is fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, as a separate legal entity and that SWAN has long de-affiliated with the NUJ.
“We state categorically that while the NUJ is established under the Trade Unions Act, SWAN is established under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, as a body of professional practitioners affiliated with the Association of International Sporting Press, AIPS.
"We make bold to say that even the constitution of the NUJ itself does not claim by any provision that SWAN is under it nor that it is required to supervise nor endorse the activities of SWAN. In fact, this issue has been tested at the National Industrial Court Lagos in which Justice M.N. Esowe only recently threw out the challenge against SWAN by persons who claimed to act under the powers of the NUJ, Lagos Council.
“We are convinced that the leadership of the NUJ is conscious of these facts and therefore find it curious for Delta NUJ Council to want to continue to interfere in an organisation that is clearly not its organ nor under its charge.
"In view of these glaring, incontrovertible facts, we advise the Delta NUJ to maintain its lane and not be unnecessarily driven by the penchant for territorialism. We urge all SWAN members to ignore whatever statement obviously made in error or ignorance by the Delta NUJ and go about the business of SWAN with full sense of liberty.”
“We state that the Delta SWAN election will proceed as planned under the supervision of the National Executive Council of SWAN and authority of the International Association of the Sporting Press, AIPS. Finally, we wish to put the security agencies on notice about the reckless interference of the Delta NUJ and its seeming readiness to recklessly breach the public peace and order in baseless ego trip," SWAN stated.