by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Suspicion and anxiety rose to the peak on Tuesday in Kaduna at the end of second day of thorough screening exercise for journalists, in anticipation for Federal Government rice palliatives at the Union Council Secretariat, No. 6A Muh’d Buhari Way.
Members of the Fourth Estate of Realm last week commenced payment of N40,000 each to Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) bank account in anticipation for the bigger bags of rice, as directed by their council chairman, Comrade Asmau Halilu.
On Friday, the 15th November 2024, the council closed the payment, with over 200 journalists on board that made the payment and happily awaiting the D-day, having paid and secured a rice bag that could cost over a N100,000 in an open market.
Accordingly, Monday 18th was announced as date of screening of members for the rice, beginning with the first 100 journalists on the list of payment time frame in the order of serial numbers, even though it was on short notice.
What supposed to be for a 100 people later turned to all-commas’ affair, rowdy and with far less than number of members, who completed their screening on first day, leading to confusions because of members from faraway Zaria and Kafanchan.
With expression of disaffection, dissatisfaction and poor organization, members dispersed, walked way and to resume on Tuesday by 8am, as rescheduled by the council chairman.
Still, on Tuesday, the screening recorded some defect, as EFCC assigned for the screening committee resumed very late, keeping the very busy journalists impatiently waiting for them for hours.
With aggression for missing newsy high profile assignments for a bag of palliative rice, most journalists expressed lamentation for putting their money in Shane. What a petty.
Little did many of the members of fourth estate of realm, and my humble self, knew that the screening, which commenced late Tuesday, would end up with many going back home disappointed on their part.
Favouritism and ‘shortcut’ crept into to the exercise, as members’ numbers were visibly skipped and some openly sidelined, jumped from one to another; so obvious that, while No.91 was waiting, 105 were called, screened and left the venue.
The final grouse was when the council chairman shamelessly, suddenly summoned all members awaiting screening, numbering about 20-30, into the hall and abruptly announced that the rice number has been exhausted, with many N40,000-paid members still on ground.
Members, who raised alarm – including my humble self, were quickly refunded back our 40k in cash, while several others were asked to submit their account details for transfers back.
All efforts to ask the NUJ chairman or the EFCC screening committee officials to explain what went wrong, how many affected, why, and what could be responsible to their rice were turned down with “no answer,” thereby creating rooms for suspicion and anxiety among non-benefited, deprived and affected journalist, who waited a whole Day 2.
Verbal attacks and insult had trailed discontented members afterwards by the Union officials against some aggrieved affected journalist, which would be reported soon.