By Fatima Saka
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has described the peaceful election of new executives of the Environment Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) as a fresh opportunity to restore unity, heal past differences and strengthen environmental journalism in Nigeria.
The union also urged members of the association to put the disagreements of the past behind them and support the new leadership, while the newly elected Chairman of EMCAN, Joycelyn Ellakechi Adah, pledged to build a more united, inclusive, professional and responsive association.
The election, conducted and supervised by the NUJ FCT Council, brought Adah, Head of Content Creation at Per Second News, to the chairmanship for a two-year tenure, following a period of interim administration.
Speaking at the election, the NUJ FCT Council Secretary, Mr. Jide Oyekunle, who represented the Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, explained that the NUJ’s intervention in the affairs of EMCAN was aimed at restoring peace, decorum and a functional leadership structure.
He stressed that the NUJ does not ordinarily interfere in the affairs of beat associations or other professional organisations, but would intervene when formally invited to help resolve an internal crisis.
According to him, the NUJ was not taking sides with any group or individual in the EMCAN leadership matter, but was concerned about ensuring peace, unity and proper organisation among journalists in the FCT.
“Our aim and objective and our mission is to ensure that every beat in FCT, there is decorum, there is peace and there is organisation and leadership structure,” Oyekunle said.
He appealed to members to avoid further bickering following the election, stressing that the outcome should not create winners and losers because all members remained part of the same professional family.
“There is no victor. We are working for the same purpose,” he said.
Oyekunle also commended the veterans and pioneer members of EMCAN, stressing that the association’s history and foundation must be respected by present and future generations.
He said those who established the association created the platform on which subsequent members and leaders would build, urging members to recognise their contributions while working to strengthen the institution.
The NUJ official further appealed to members who did not emerge in the new executive to remain actively involved by providing constructive advice and ideas for the growth of EMCAN.
“If you have anything to tell them, if you have anything that you want to give as an advice, please don’t hesitate,” he said, urging members to work together for the benefit of the association.
In her acceptance speech titled, “A New Chapter for EMCAN: A Message of Unity, Renewal and Service,” Adah received the mandate with gratitude, humility and a strong sense of responsibility.
She thanked members who participated in the election, particularly those who entrusted her with their confidence, stressing that her victory belonged to the entire association.
“This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to EMCAN. It belongs to all of us,” she said.
Adah extended a hand of friendship to members who supported her, those who supported other candidates and those who might have had reservations about the electoral process.
“The election is over. The work has begun,” she declared.
The new chairman said EMCAN must avoid creating winners and losers from the election, insisting that members were united by their shared responsibility to report environmental issues accurately, courageously and responsibly.
She appealed to members to choose reconciliation over rancour, collaboration over division and the future of EMCAN over personal differences.
Adah also acknowledged the pioneering role of the former chairman and other members who helped establish and sustain the association from its formative years.
“Whatever our differences or perspectives may have been, we must recognise the effort that went into building and sustaining this association from the onset. We inherit a foundation; our responsibility is to strengthen it,” she said.
She pledged that her administration would deliberately work towards building an EMCAN that is more united, representative and responsive to members.
According to her, the association must become a stronger collective voice for environmental journalists by engaging relevant institutions, government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders on issues affecting both the profession and the environment.
Adah also promised greater emphasis on practical reportorial activities, saying environmental journalism must go beyond simply reporting events to helping the public understand the consequences of environmental policies, decisions and developments.
She listed field-based reporting, investigative environmental journalism, special reports, data-driven stories, documentaries and collaborative reporting among the areas her administration would promote.
The new chairman also pledged to invest in members through training, workshops, professional exchanges and partnerships to strengthen their capacity in climate reporting, investigative journalism, data journalism, multimedia storytelling and emerging areas of environmental reporting.
“An EMCAN that trains its members is an EMCAN that prepares them for the future,” she said.
Adah pledged to listen, consult and represent members, stressing that the chairman does not own EMCAN.
“The members own EMCAN,” she declared.
She said her administration’s success would not be measured by the position occupied but by the strength of the institution it leaves behind.
According to her, the goal is to leave an EMCAN that is “stronger, more democratic, more professional, more united and more valuable to every member.”
Declaring the election results, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Chidi Ugwu, announced Adah as the winner of the chairmanship position with 30 votes.
Other members elected into the new executive are Samuel Adeyinka of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Secretary; Abigael Ifelayo of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Treasurer; and Zeniat Abubakar of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Welfare and Publicity Secretary.
The NUJ FCT Council commended EMCAN members for their peaceful and orderly conduct throughout the electoral process, describing the election as an opportunity for renewed unity, transparency, reconciliation and professional growth.
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The council also charged the new executive to prioritise transparency, accountability, members’ welfare and professional development, while deepening collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, international development partners and other stakeholders.
The peaceful conclusion of the election is expected to usher EMCAN into a new phase of reconciliation and professional renewal, with the association now expected to focus on strengthening its institutional structure, improving members’ capacity and promoting credible, informed and impactful environmental journalism across Nigeria.
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