The Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ogun State chapter, Sekinat Salam, has faulted her suspension by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, describing the action as unconstitutional and a calculated attempt to cover up alleged financial impropriety by the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju.
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Salam, who also dismissed allegations of financial misconduct levelled against her and the association’s Financial Secretary, Charity James, said the decision by the NUJ state executive was deeply flawed and violated basic principles of fairness and due process.
“My attention has been drawn to a decision by the NUJ executive council in Ogun State, led by Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, to suspend me and my Financial Secretary over allegations of financial misconduct,” she said.
According to Salam, she initially chose to remain silent, hoping that reason and natural justice would prevail. However, she said she was forced to speak out after what she described as coordinated media attacks aimed at damaging her reputation.
“I am not disturbed by these attacks. My silence was not out of fear or acceptance. It was because I believed the truth would speak for itself,” she stated, adding that the NUJ chairman could not fairly preside over a matter in which he was directly involved.
She described the suspension as a “serious constitutional violation,” arguing that the NUJ chairman improperly positioned himself as both complainant and judge in the matter.
“It is fundamentally wrong for someone whose actions form a key part of the dispute to influence the process, portray himself as a victim, and drive a decision to suspend the accused,” Salam said, noting that such conduct breached the principles of fair hearing and natural justice.
Dismissing claims of financial wrongdoing, Salam insisted that she never misappropriated any funds, stating that her real offence was refusing to allow herself or NAWOJ to be controlled.
“My only ‘sin’ is that I refused to be a puppet — someone whose decisions and finances could be manipulated at will,” she said.
She alleged that Comrade Olanrewaju played a central role in the opening of a special bank account used to clear a ₦5 million cheque issued to NAWOJ by the Ogun State Government. According to her, he provided NUJ’s Corporate Affairs Commission documents and mobilised senior civil servants to facilitate the process.
Salam further claimed that after the cheque was cleared, the NUJ chairman demanded repayment of a loan he said he had given NAWOJ and also requested a personal share of the funds.
She stated that ₦345,000 was transferred to him as repayment of the loan, followed by additional payments amounting to ₦430,000, which she said were made under pressure during the period of cash scarcity in 2023.
“All of this happened during the cash crunch, when sourcing cash was extremely difficult,” she said.
Salam maintained that the remaining funds were properly utilised and accounted for, noting that NAWOJ programmes were funded from the same ₦5 million, while the balance remains in the association’s account.
“All financial records are intact and transparent. I am ready to make them available for public scrutiny,” she said.
She also stated that key NUJ officials, including the state secretary, Bunmi Adigun, and Akeem Adegbenro, were aware of the transactions, adding that NAWOJ members who travelled to Abuja for the association’s national election benefited from the funds.
Salam described the allegations against her as “baseless and fabricated,” accusing the NUJ chairman of attempting to punish her for challenging his influence over NAWOJ’s finances.
She warned that any disciplinary action taken without an independent and impartial investigation would amount to an abuse of process and would not stand legally.
Salam further reminded stakeholders that NAWOJ is an affiliate with its own national leadership and not a subordinate unit under the NUJ.
“If there is any allegation against the state executive of NAWOJ, it is the responsibility of the national leadership of the association to investigate and take appropriate action,” she said.
She called on the NUJ State Congress to halt what she described as a flawed process and return to constitutional procedures.
“Justice must be based on law and due process, not sentiment or manipulation. Anything short of this undermines the integrity of our institutions,” Salam concluded.
