Abia NUJ faces landlord’s eviction over unpaid rent

Mr John Emejor, the Chairman, Abia Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), says the council might soon be evicted from its Secretariat for failure to renew its annual rent.

Emejor said this on Sunday when he led members of the State Executive Committee in a visit to Mr Charles Nzechi, a philanthropist and Abuja-based businessman in his Umuahia country home.

He said that the visit was designed to intimate Nzechi with the accommodation and other challenges facing the council and solicit his assistance.

“Abia council is the only council in the federation which still operates in a rented apartment.

“Recently, we have been under severe pressure from our landlord to vacate the building because of our inability to renew our annual rent,’’ Emejor said.

He said that the state government had always written off the rent but regretted that “the current economic crunch had made it difficult for the government to assist us”.

He added that a permanent secretariat building which the last administration started for the council had been abandoned due to the lack of funds.

The chairman said that the council’s 2016 Press Week slated for October was also being threatened by lack of sponsorship and appealed to Nzechi for his assistance.

“I shall remain eternally grateful to you if you can help to take these two burdens off our shoulders.

“My hair has suddenly turned grey all over due to these problems,” Emejor said.

Responding, Nzechi, who said that he had great regards for journalism, promised to assist the council to tackle some of its challenges.

He expressed his readiness to partner with the leadership to move the union to greater heights.

“My Foundation, Charles Nzechi Foundation, shall partner with you to move the council forward. From now, you should enjoy unrestricted access to my home, no more protocol,’’he said.

He spoke glowingly about journalism, saying it could be likened to the work of the apostles, who recorded and disseminated the gospel of Christ to the world.