The Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has announced a total boycott of all activities and engagements involving the Umuahia North Local Government Area and its Chairman, Smart Iheoma, citing gross disrespect toward the journalism profession. The resolution, outlined in a 10-point communiqué issued after the union’s June 2025 Congress, bars journalists from covering Iheoma or his council in any conventional media reports.
The well-attended Congress, chaired by Comrade Chidi Asonye, condemned Iheoma’s actions during an environmental sanitation exercise on May 31, 2025, where he allegedly insulted journalists, calling them “imbeciles” and “criminals” and threatening to bar them from covering state government functions. The NUJ described the mayor’s behavior as unbecoming of an elected official and a violation of the respect owed to the fourth estate.
The union warned that any registered NUJ member or media outlet in Abia State that violates the boycott by covering Umuahia North LGA events will face severe sanctions. While reaffirming its cordial relationship with the Abia State Government, the NUJ emphasized that it will not tolerate actions that undermine journalists’ responsibilities to inform, educate, and entertain the public.
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