The Imo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has categorically denied claims circulating in certain quarters that the Union’s Old Press Center located along Port Harcourt Road has been sold or put up for sale.
In a press statement signed by its Chairman, Ifeanyi Nwanguma JP, the Union clarified that the property, which was donated to the NUJ by the Imo State Government, is not for sale. According to Nwanguma, the title to the property is non-transferable, and any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unfounded.
“The Imo NUJ Old Press Center is not for sale. As a property donated to the Union by the Imo State Government, its title cannot be transferred. The claim that it was sold or leased is purely a figment of the imagination of those peddling such falsehood,” the Chairman stated.
He further emphasized that all properties owned by state councils of the NUJ are ultimately under the control of the Union’s National Secretariat. The Secretariat, he explained, has the sole authority to determine or approve leases, with no such approval currently granted regarding the Old Press Center.
“It is important to note that all NUJ properties nationwide belong to the National Secretariat of the Union. The least the National Secretariat can approve is a lease, and no such approval has been given for this property,” Nwanguma added.
Addressing the current situation, the Union disclosed that there is an ongoing process to lease a section of the property, initiated by the immediate past NUJ administration in Imo State. However, the Union stressed that this does not equate to a sale of the property and any claim to that effect is entirely false.
“The ongoing process pertains to leasing a section of the property. This is being handled in line with the proper procedures and does not mean the property has been sold,” Nwanguma clarified.
The Union urged members of the public to disregard rumors of the sale, describing them as misleading and unfounded. It reiterated its commitment to transparency and assured journalists and stakeholders that the property remains an asset of the Union.
“Let it be made vividly clear that the Imo Old NUJ Press Center located along Port Harcourt Road is not for sale. We call on the public to disregard any claims suggesting otherwise as they are baseless,” Nwanguma concluded.
