16 Journalists Taking To London For Training By Delta State Governor

This is suppose to be a good and welcoming development. It seems the action had caused a serious issue in the State.  Controversy has continued to trail Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s on alleged N250 million sponsorship of 16 private-sector journalists to London for a training on "Investigative Journalism" which has been described as a jamboree. This comes as a case study, which is currently brewing in the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which could lead to the removal of its Chairman, Mr Norbert Chiazor, over the selection of the reporters for the London training. Members of the NUJ in the state have condemned in strong terms the involvement of Mr. Chiazor, describing it as a sell-out, clandestine and compromise, stressing that the “corrupt” manner he led the selected private journalists to the jamboree said to be holding at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London is an impeachable offence..

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 Investigations shows that the state government in its bid to buy the media, hiding under its human capital development agenda, allegedly approved a whooping N250 million for the training of the 16 journalists in London for the second time. Last year, the council chairman had risked impeachment following his involvement in controversial and corrupt circumstances with the state government to take 12 journalists in state for a similar jamboree at the Reuters/Thompson Foundation in London, United Kingdom. Before now, the state chairman of the union has been accused by members of the NUJ in the state of corruption, flagrant disregard of the union's constitution, lack of transparency, respect for members, romance with government to the detriment of members, as well as intimidation and harassment of members. It was reliably gathered that the embattled NUJ state chairman had reached an alleged deal with the state government to be sponsoring selected private sector journalists abroad for jamborees in the name of training so as to avoid any form of bad press throughout the reign of the administration.

 According to a release from the office of the state Information Commissioner, Mr. Chike Ogeah, 16 journalists from the print and electronic media in the state have commenced a one-week training at the world renowned Thomson Reuters Institute in London under the sponsorship of the state government with the theme “Investigative Journalism” focusing on ethics and the principles of investigation in news writing. Ogeah confirmed that the “Training is the second to be sponsored by the Delta State Government. Last year, 12 journalists were at the Thomson Reuters Institute for one-week training on News Writing.” Here are photos of the others;