NUJ SOUTH EAST ZONE HOLDS MEGA SUMMIT/ AWARDS IN ENUGU   29Th SEPTEMBER 

By Destiny Akunesi

The Nigeria Union of Journalists South East Zone C will on Wednesday 28th  and Thursday 29th September 2022 hold her  maiden  Summit/Awards at Lyon D Gold Hotel Enugu.

The  Summit which has its theme as: ” The South East in the Geo- Politics of Nigeria: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ” will be chaired  by Chief Nnia Nwodo Jnr former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo while  the Key note Speaker is Distinguished Senator  Enyinna Abaribe, Senator  representing Abia South Senatorial District.

His Excellency Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi the Executive  Governor of Enugu  state will be the  Distinguished Guest of Honour while the Special Guest of Honour is His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi the  Presidential Candidate of Labour Party.

HRH Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, Chairman Traditional Rulers Council Enugu state will serve as Royal Father of the Day while the  Chief host is Chief Chris Isiguzo the NUJ President.

In  a Press release made by  the Vice President of NUJ South East Emmanuel Ifesinachi and the Secretary Comrade Eze Adiuku said the Chairman of the Planning Committee is Eddy Ugwu while Emma Udeagha will serve as the  Secretary.

According to the release, members of the committee are  made up five members  from each of the  five  states that made up the zone: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

Comrade Destiny Udodiri  Akunesi Secretary of Starpost Express Chapel of NUJ Imo state Council and PRO Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Imo state chapter is a member of the committee.

The Secretary of the Zone Comrade Eze Adiuku said the Summit is  an initiative  from the Vice President Emmanuel

Ifesinachi and himself.

The Media Summit according to the  VP and Secretary of the Zone  will provide a platform for Media Owners and Managers as well as Journalists and Media Practitioners to come together annually to assess  themselves, critically look at the immediate environment and the challenges  and determine the best approach in tackling the problems facing the media industry. “Expectations of the Society from the Media is high and this should be met if our value and integrity will be intact.” said  the Vice President.

The Zone has been comatose in terms of media activities in the recent times. The media activities lined up will help give the Union that Corporate Visibility and Relevance especially as these media activities will be done quarterly and annually as the case may be in the zone.

On the choice of  Enugu as the venue, they said Enugu is the headquarters of the Zone, so they  have to start their media activities there as sign of respect to a place that has been the Headquarters of Eastern Region, East Central State, Old Anambra State and the current Enugu State capital. The city has to host or be starting point of events to come. Other activities has to be rotated among the other States of the Zone.

The essence of the media event is to review the situation in the Zone as it affects investment  and development of the Media Industry in the zone,   encourage people who have capacity to invest and others to develop interest on investments to expand the industry within the zone.

Those of  that have already invested substantially in the industry will receive Awards. Also political actors who are benevolent to the Media and wellbeing of Journalists with Goodwill and Patronages will equally receive the  Awards.

On the choice of the  topic “The South East In The Geo-Politics Of Nigeria: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”  they said it will give then the opportunity to consider their contributions as Igbo people to the freedom, development, growth and the survival of Nigeria in the time past,presently and projecting into the future of the country.

“We want to capture the mood of the Zone as it relates to politics, economic, security and sociocultural.

Looking at the Theme which is targeted at assessment of ourselves politically, economically, socially, culturally and religiously we are bringing to the media event Political Bigwigs including Presidential and Gubernatorial Candidates, Captains of Industry, Media Executives, Executives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide,Youth Leaders, Journalists,Market Men and Women and the National Leadership of NUJ led by the National President of NUJ to brainstorm and decide on the future of the Zone. It is a Town Hall Meeting of some sort.”

On the issue funding such  a big event, the leadership of the Zone said as members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm,they felt that Governments should sponsor and assist the Union in hosting such big event whose outcome will reshape the thinking, attitude and perception about politics and leadership of the people.

It will help the Zone cue properly to the struggle for leadership, decision making in the economic and sociocultural prosperity of Nigeria.