The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council refused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s cash gift over the alleged reprehensible conduct of the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifejika.
Journalists were invited by the Delta State Governor to the quarterly press briefing and the sum of One Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira was given to Mr. Olisa to distribute to the various Chapels in attendance. According to sources, Mr. Olisa shared only Three Hundred Thousand Naira which infuriated the journalists.
Mr. Olisa gave Ughelli Chapel the sum of Sixty Thousand Naira to be shared among six persons who made the long and arduous trip to the briefing from Ughelli. Angry journalists refused to hold back their frustration against Mr. Olisa who, according to them, always short-changed them since his appointment by the Governor two years ago.
One of the journalists said, “You are a journalist who once worked in this state. Which journalist under Uduaghan, then, was given anything less than Forty Thousand Naira during press briefing? But this CPS will be giving Five Thousand to journalists while pocketing the rest. He continued, “Most of us miss Ukah when he was Commissioner for Information as he never allowed such to happen and took care of all of us”.
Mr. Dominic Adewole, Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, pleaded with the Governor to re-appoint Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, the immediate past Commissioner for Information who was, notably, the only past Commissioner present at the briefing.
Governor Okowa eventually left the venue of the press briefing to assess the deplorable condition of the Government House Press Unit, promising to refurbish the now decrepit unit.
