PREAMBLE
The monthly Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, reconvened for the month of October 2022. The Congress was attended by members from across the length and breadth of the state. The meeting welcomed two guests; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi represented by Nneoma Anoliefo and the Press Secretary to the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Christian Aburime. Members extensively deliberated on diverse issues affecting the Union, the state and Nigeria in general, and thereafter the following resolutions were adopted:
1. Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the evacuation efforts by major stakeholders (Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency and the Anambra State Government through the State Emergency Management Agency) of persons displaced by the flood disaster in five local government areas of the state. It therefore appealed to them to intensify efforts and reduce as much as possible the impact of the humanitarian crisis emerging from the flood.
2. Congress applauded the Anambra State Government for its effort at entrenching security of lives and property in the state but urged it to do everything within its powers to ensure that the streetlights once again begin to illuminate the streets and towns of the state as this is of strategic importance to maintaining security.
3. Congress welcomed the recent flag-off of roads in the state especially in communities long neglected by previous administrations. It, however, urged the State Government to prioritize roads in the capital city as several of the roads within Awka and environs are no longer motorable.
4. Congress advised Anambra State Government through the Anambra State Waste Management Agency, ASWAMA, to review its policy of house-to-house collection of waste as the strategy seems not to be working yet. It advocated a two-way approach where the house-to-house collection will coexist with the previous method of placing receptacles at strategic points in towns and cities in order to make waste management more efficient.
5. Congress called the attention of the state government to the continued illegal revenue collection in the state especially at Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area, Onitsha and Ifite Awka in Awka South LGA despite the governments policy against it. It called on the authorities to take urgent steps to enforce the law against those engaging in the act.
6. Congress frowns at the ongoing extortion, intimidation and harassment of motorists in the state by operatives of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, ARTMA, and Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, especially in the state capital. It took note of the fact that some of these agencies are not acting within the ambit of the law and called on the State Government to intervene in the matter.
*SIGNED:*
Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD
Chairman, NUJ Anambra State Council
Comrade Aloysius Ofodile,
Secretary, NUJ Anambra State Council
*Members of Communique Drafting Committee:*
1.  Ikenna Nwokedi, Ph.D
2.  Henry Duru, PhD
3.  Lawrence Nwimo
4.  Titus Eleweke
5.  David Okpokwasili
