Ondo NUJ Zone B calls for reinstatement of suspended OSRC journalists

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The Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the weekend demanded the immediate recall of its members who were placed on suspension by the management of the Ondo State Radiovision Corporation(OSRC).

The Union after an emergency meeting of its State Executive Committee (SEC) yesterday described the suspension of the affected journalists as uncalled for and an attempt by the board of the station to cripple the labour union in the state-owned station.

In a press statement issued by the General Secretary of the union, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the NUJ said it was wrong for the station to punish individuals over the legitimate collective gathering of the journalists for their union's congress during which they expressed concerns over their working condition.

Those placed on indefinite suspension by the board of OSRC included the Chairman of NUJ in OSRC Chapel, Wahab Bankole, his predecessor, Taiwo Ibitoye, Sola Obagbemisoye, Akinwumi Abodunde, Obafemi Sogbe and Lanrewaju Bankole-Cole.

Others are Bayo Olanusi of the Programmes Department and Tunji Ogidan of Engineering Department, who is the incumbent RATTAWU Chairman in the Corporation.

The NUJ said its members in OSRC did not engage in any "illegal protest" as alleged in the letter of suspension but only participated in the union's congress which is a regular meeting of NUJ members in the station.

The NUJ therefore demanded that the suspended staff be recalled to their duty posts while the board and management of the station should look into the issues of
poor working condition raised by the unions in the station.

The NUJ is also asking the board of OSRC to make public and implement the report of the Panel set up to look into the crisis in the station, which was headed by the former Head of Service (HoS)in the state, Mr. Ajose Kudehinbu.

"We find it disturbing that the board of OSRC has refused to release or implement the report of the Kudehinbu Panel which looked into the various issues raised
and made recommendations on how to solve the many problems confronting the station.

"Instead of implementing the report of the panel, the board and the management have decided to punish our members unjustly. They have neglected the message and
gone after the messengers. Dumping the report of the Kudehinbu Panel for selective punishment is a wrong step to take.

"Therefore,we are demanding the recall of those suspended and the implementation of the Kudehinbu Panel's report. If the board and management of OSRC have nothing to hide, then they should make the report of the panel public and implement it", the statement added.

The Union also appealed to the Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to intervene in the matter and give the directive for the implementation of the report of the Kudehinbu's Panel.

Also, the Zone B of the Union called for immediate reinstatement of all journalists placed on suspension at OSRC.

A statement by its Chairman,Dele Atunbi said the act was a miscarriage of justice,stressing that it is a deliberate attempt to do away with the Kudehinbu panel's recommendations which looked into the deplorable state of OSRC.

The statement noted that the action of OSRC Board in the current victimisation is capable of causing financial recklessness without co-equal development of industries to justify government's huge investment in the Corporation.
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