The recent congratulatory message issued by the Clerk of the Imo State House of Assembly, Bar. Chinelo Emeghara, in respect of the purported re-election of the dissident Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, , Imo State Council, Nwanguma, despite contempt proceeding, has not only sent shock waves across union members, but has also presented the Clerk, a trained lawyer in very bad light.
Some journalists who commented on the development which they described as extremely absurd, expressed surprise that a trained lawyer like the Clerk, could brazenly accord recognition to such illegality that is anchored on impunity.
According to them, “others who are not lawyers could be padoned on the ground that they don’t know the implications of their action or the gravity of the offence that Ifeanyi Nwanguma, Eze Adiukwu and their cohorts committed. But for a lawyer who occupies such an exalted office to engage in or encourage such illegality says a lot about her character and personality.”
In the same vein, Chairman of the Imo NUJ Press Center Management Committee, Comrade Austin Agwulonu in a chat with this reporter, said, “the union is aware that some politicians are sabotaging our efforts by engaging in all kinds of illegality. But I don’t expect a civil servant like the Clerk to willfully dabble into such controversy, as if she has joined other desperadoes in misinforming Imo people about the state of affairs in Imo NUJ”.
He advised Chinelo Emeghara to concentrate on her job as a civil servant and stay away from the the union’s affairs.
Recall that journalists in Imo state, on December 6, 2025, in Suit No: How/542/2024 and How/ 25m/2024, initiated contempt proceedings against the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,Comr Alhassan Yahya Abdul, Ifeanyi, Nwanguma and Eze Adiukwu for disobeying a Court Order on the leadership of Imo NUJ.
The matter is already before the court and the parties involved had been served. Hence, the NUJ in Imo state is surprised that Chinelo Emeghara, the controversial Permanent Secretary audaciously congratulated those who, to all intents and purposes, risk jail terms for disobeying the Order of a Court of competent jurisdiction.
