BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI – The National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, yesterday condemned the  senseless killing of journalists in the country. According to him, the NUJ has lost no fewer than 25 journalists in 2012 alone.

Garba also announced that NUJ had reconstituted the Governing Council and Academic Board of the International Institute of Journalism, IIJ.

Garba, who stated this while addressing newsmen during his campaign tour of Owerri, also said construction work had started in the permanent site of the NUJ Nationall headquarters.

“Zenith Bank has guaranteed N100 million for the accreditation of the courses in IIJ, as well as renewed the institution’s affiliation with the University of Maiduguri, Borno State,” Garba said.

He said efforts were on to float a radio station in Abuja, adding that veterans would be engaged in the establishment when fully operational.

Garba said journalists must support the probes going on in the National Assembly by following up the issues already in public domain.

Speaking earlier, the Zonal Vice Chairman (East), Sir Ambrose Nwachukwu, described Garba as “a great leader and a man of honour that has piloted the affairs of NUJ in contemporary times to the satisfaction of all journalists”.

Nwachukwu said that despite the rumour that made the rounds that he wanted to scuttle the President’s visit to Imo State Council, he had no such intention.

Earlier in his speech, Chairman of Imo State Council, Mr. Innocent Igwe, urged serving journalists to subscribe to the insurance scheme packaged by Garba’s administration, even as he recalled that NUJ now had a permanent site in Abuja.