I am not fuelling Osun NUJ Crisis-Kola Akanji OSBC Chairman

The Interim Chairman, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) Board of Directors, Mr Kola Akanji has denied the allegation that he was part of the people fuelling the crisis rocking the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun Council.

Akanji in a statement posted to CityMirrorNews in reaction to our earlier story titled: ‘Osun NUJ Suspends Members, Warns OSBC Chairman’ said it was not true that he was promoting division among members of the Osun NUJ.

The Osun NUJ, through an emergency congress chaired by the Vice-Chairman, Comrade Kehinde Ayantunji, on Thursday, had resolved to write a warning letter to Akanji for allegedly using his office to fuel the crisis.

The congress also suspended the Acting Chairman of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) chapel, Mrs Ojuolape Ukeme-Bassy, Chairman, Local Government Information Chapel, Mr Gboyega Aderinwale and the Secretary of Federated Chapel, Mr Kehinde Kolawole for misconduct.

Reacting to the allegation Akanji said: What I find most disconcerting is the attempt by some of the members to link me, in my capacity as the Interim Chairman of the OSBC board and senior member of the union, alleging me “to be fuelling the crisis and should be written a warning letter “to desist from promoting division among union members “. I’m expecting the warning letter.

“The question to ask is in what way is the crisis being fuelled by my humble self who is just a member of the union? It is on record that as a foundation member of the union I was instrumental to the donation of the present site of the union as Press Secretary to the first Military Administrator (1991) and would never turn round to destroy what I have built.

“If Mr Kola Akanji decides not to support the aspirations of then incumbent Chairman Abiodun Olalere -who he supported morally and financial in his first coming, decides not to support him this time around, should this then be used as blackmail?

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Kola Akanji has no hands whatsoever in former Chairman Abiodun Olalere’s travails and it is not by force that you support the political aspirations of anybody.”

But Olalere is not a former chairman of the NUJ, as he won his second term election held on February 11, 2016. Olalere and other members of the Osun NUJ executives were inaugurated after winning the election.

However, the national secretariat of the NUJ annulled the election based on a petition that was never shown to Olalere and the NUJ electoral committee. That is the genesis of the crisis.