Funke Busari, Lagos
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos Chapter, Dr. Qasim Akinreti and his campaign team berthed at the secretariat of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN on Friday, to solicit for votes of crime reporters in the State in the Council’s upcoming election slated for September 29, 2020.
The Chairman vying for a second term in office met with top executives and members of CRAN in the company of some aspirants seeking various offices to seek the support of their members to clinch victory in order to take the Union to a greater height.
Speaking at the campaign, Dr. Akinreti urged all and sundry to discountenance all the calumnies against him being perpetrated by his opposers describing them as false.
This was in response to the concerns raised at the visit to CRAN members who took him up on issues raised against him in respect of the Abaren Land project, that’s he cut some portions of land and allocated to his cronies.
The NUJ chair spoke to the issues and in addition reeled out his past achievements and plans for journalists to make an informed choice between him and his contender, Mr. Adeleye Ajayi.
He explained that the upcoming election will be a paradigm shift from the old way to a new way of doing things.
According to him, “This present Exco did not tamper with previous allocations, he maintained.
He stressed that his predecessors fell short of record keeping and that brought about the crisis that trailed the Abaren Land project and the NUJ Light House.
He however said that, “Deji Elumoye has repaid N2 million to the council and the Estate Manager had also promised to repay the remaining 9 million naira in installments.
The President of CRAN, Mr. Odita Sunday during his speech advised all practicing journalists to register in order to stand eligible to vote in the Union’s election.
Expressing further, Mr. Odita admonished all electorates to align with the best candidate of their choice.
“We also need you to be informed on areas to focus on in the next administration and you also have to use the medium to correct the allegations, he said.
Those on the campaign train were Dr. Akinreti who is aspiring for Chairmanship, other aspirants for the post of Financial Secretary and Secretary respectively, Mrs. Iyabo Wale-Eri and Mr. Raymond Tedunjaye.
Others are Mrs. Barbara Negbeje, David Adekunle, Mr. Nduka Uzuakwu, Bose Agosu, Mr. Fibian Anawo and Mr. Muyiwa Kalejaiye.
