Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, has formally withdrawn from all activities of the state council following a prolonged leadership crisis and allegations of financial misconduct against the state chairman. The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency congress held on Thursday, May 27, 2026, at the chapel’s office in Makurdi, the state capital. The communiqué was signed by the Chairman of the Chapel, Comrade Martins Kajo, and the Secretary, John Shiaondo.
In the communiqué, the chapel announced that all its members serving in the State Working Committee, State Executive Council and other committees of the state council are to withdraw from such activities immediately, pending the resolution of the issues raised against the leadership of the union. The correspondents also passed a vote of no confidence in the Chairman of the NUJ Benue State Council, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, accusing him of “unruly behaviour and repeated public embarrassment of the union over monetary issues.” The chapel further alleged that Ugber has factionalised the union, patronising non‑members at the expense of genuine members and engaging in public altercations over financial matters.
Financial accountability formed the core of the correspondents’ grievances. According to the communiqué, the state council leadership allegedly failed to account for N2 million reportedly generated from schools owned by the council, as well as N3 million allegedly received from the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, for the purchase of chairs. The correspondents also alleged that out of the N10 million, a bus and palm trees donated by Governor Hyacinth Alia to the union, N3.5 million had not been properly accounted for. The chapel further condemned the alleged commercial use of the NUJ bus, claiming journalists were made to pay as much as N50,000 before accessing the vehicle for official assignments.
The correspondents also distanced themselves from a recent communiqué issued by the NUJ Benue State Council, particularly a purported vote of no confidence passed against the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula. The chapel insisted that the position did not reflect the opinion of genuine members present at the congress, alleging that non‑professionals and hired individuals influenced the outcome of that meeting. In contrast, the chapel passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hyacinth Alia, his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, and other media handlers in the state, commending what it described as their cordial relationship with journalists and commitment to the development of the state.
As of the time of this report, the NUJ Benue State Council had not issued an official response to the withdrawal. The crisis further deepens the internal divisions within the state chapter of the union, which has witnessed repeated leadership disputes in recent years. The correspondents have made it clear that their withdrawal from state council activities will remain in force until all the issues raised are satisfactorily resolved.
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