BREAKING: Crisis In Anambra NUJ, Vice Chair suspended, Chairman Accused of ASUU Agenda

By Our correspondent

Crisis has rocked the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, resulting in the suspension of the council’s Vice Chairman, Betty Onuchukwu Ikweme, barely two months after the council’s elections.

The suspension was announced in a disclaimer public notice issues on Saturday by the union’s secretary, Okechukwu Onuegbu, PhD.

The crisis erupted following online media reports claiming that the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Anambra State Council, had inaugurated a new leadership, with Comrade Chuks Ilozue of Daily Independent as Chairman.

However, the State Working Committee of the NUJ, Anambra State Council, disputed these claims, stating that the reports were untrue and fictitious.

The committee held an emergency meeting on March 26, 2025, and resolved that the election and inauguration were null and void, as they failed to follow the provisions of the NUJ Constitution.

The committee also noted that the Correspondents’ Chapel had not paid practice fees and check-off/professional fees arrears owed by most of their members from 2022 to 2025, as required by the NUJ Constitution.

As a result, Vice Chairman Beatrice Onuchukwu-Ikwueme was suspended for witnessing the disputed election and inauguration, which was viewed as anti-union.

The union lamented that unprogressive elements in the correspondents chapel had rubbished the six months’ effort to do the right thing, and appealed to members to follow due process to avoid ridiculing the union.

Reacting to the development, a member of the Correspondents’chapel who would not want to be mentioned at this stage of the crisis said,”The executive rascality pervading the landscape and space of NUJ Anambra State Council had reached tipping point, that is what you get when full-time classroom teacher is allowed to manage affairs of practicing journalists.

Afterall, he has nothing to lose; he can destroy NUJ today and contest ASUU tomorrow.
“My judgement in last election where he was disqualified for ineligibility and later cleared for whatsoever reason was right