By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has cleared theair about thepurported notice of demolition pasted on its secretariat by an agency of the Kaduna State Government.

A terse statement issued Thursday night by the State Chairman and Secretary Adamu Yusuf and Femi Adi respectively, said the union's attention was drawn to the social media story captioned “El-Rufai Moves To Demolish NUJ Secretariat, Issues Quit Notice”.

The statement explained that, “the letter pasted on the wall of the front shops today (Thursday) was by the Director General of Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA) Ismail Umar Dikko.

“The story with the quoted misleading headline “El-Rufai Moves To Demolish NUJ Secretariat, Issues Quit Notice” is not only from the pit of hell, but a calculated attempt by the author and rumour peddlers to smear the name of the Governor and create disharmony between the Union in the State and the State Government.

“It is true that Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency an agency of Kaduna State Government served the Council a “Notice of Demolition” today,Thursday 24 September,2021, but for the front shops facing Muhammadu Buhari Way and not the entire NUJ Secretariat as widely and wrongly circulated.

“The notice with a 21-day ultimatum is basically a final warning for both NUJ and its development partner (Kaduna State Market Development Company) to comply with the directive to remodel and create parking space for members of the Union and customers, who use the Secretariat premises.

“Before today's (Thursday) notice, the Council was served the first letter dated 2nd August ,2021 and its Exco responded immediately with a physical visit and subsequent meetings with KASUPDA and Kaduna State Market Development Company ,which is the Development Partner that took responsibility to fund the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement with NUJ to construct the 16 shops in question.

“The resolutions reached with KASUPDA was for NUJ and its partner , Kaduna State Market Development Company to remodel the existing structure (front shops) such that the doors facing the road would be removed and turn to face inside the compound.

“That NUJ should create adequate parking space for members and customers to avoid indiscriminate parking on the newly dualised Muhammadu Buhari Way in line with the Urban Renewal projects.

“That NUJ should provide “As-Built Architectural Design” to accommodate the new structures with the entire NUJ Secretariat.

“Against this background, the Council wrote a letter to Kaduna State Market Development Company for a meeting on the resolutions reached with KASUPDA and it was granted immediately and a meeting was held with the Chairman and Secretary ,who represented the Council.

“Resolutions were reached with an agreement to first get an Architect to work on the As-Built Design” to reflect the remodeled structure in line with the directive from KASUPDA. And to also create adequate space for parking, which has been done.

“But due to the delay from Kaduna State Market Development Company to remodel the shops and convert the doors facing the road to face inside the compound within the first stipulated time frame of two weeks,more so, to stop indiscriminate parking of cars on the road, the second notice became expedient.

“However, there is no cause for alarm as all necessary measures to comply with the directive to remodel and stop indiscriminate parking on the major road are being taken care of.

“Please note that as published in the obscure online platform called Capital Post that 'The letter which asked the NUJ to quit within 21 days of receipt of the letter, lamented the recalcitrance of the NUJ management that has delayed demolition action that would have taken place before now.' written with intention of mischief and calculated attempt to blackmail Governor El-Rufai.

“The letter served and pasted at the premises did not ask the entire NUJ Secretariat to quit, but for the demolition of the built front shops attached to the Secretariat if there is a failure to comply with initial order to remodel and stop indiscriminate parking on the major road.

“The Kaduna NUJ therefore disassociate itself from faceless and obscure online platform news posts that are not only mischievous, but shamelessly riding on NUJ good image to attack governor el-Rufai for story that does not have any bearing with the Governor.”

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