Housing fraud: Lagos NUJ adopts committee’s report

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, has adopted the Committee Report banning NAWOJ President, Ifeyinwa Omowole and Deji Elumoye, immediate past Lagos NUJ Chairman from leading the union in any capacity for 10 years.
The journalists also resolved that the Committee Report should be sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as recommended.
But the NUJ President, Mr Waheed Odusile said the Lagos NUJ’s resolution is subject to ratification by the National NUJ at its next National Executive Council  (NEC), scheduled to hold in May this year in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
However, after the Congress, many of the subscribers stood in twos and threes, reviewing the National NUJ aspect of the issue.
One of those affected expressed fear over the decision, saying, “A petition was written to National NUJ over this housing fraud since April 2016, under the same President Odusile, and nothing has been done about it till now.
A drama ensued during the Congress, when former Lagos NAWOJ Chairman, Mrs Dupe Osinkolu, raised the issue of how the memorandum of agreement for the housing scheme was unilaterally drafted by Omowole, and a few pro-Omowole members rose and started shouting. One of them alleged that Osinkolu is holding on to expired dollars rejected by the bank and accruals from the sales of registration forms for the housing scheme.
The current Lagos NUJ Chairman, Dr Qasim Akinreti, doused the tension by bringing out one of the documents in his possession, telling the Congress how former NAWOJ  Treasurer signed for and collected money on forms from Osinkolu.
He added that the Committee invited Omowole severally to come and address the issues raised but she refused to come for the duration of the Committee’s four-month sitting.
The 15-point recommendations was read and adopted by the Congress after a few amendments.