International Federation of Journalists Disseminates False and Biased Information in Defending its Scandalous IFJ Executive Committee Member
The National Union of Somali Journalists is grieved by the false information circulated by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) through its current Executive committee member and former NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman.
According to media reports, Mr. Osman is still holding the union website illegally, following the union’s supreme council removed him democratically along with the former president Abdirisaq Omar Ismail on February 10, 2011 in a meeting held at Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu.
The union is due to hold its General Assembly with delegates coming from South/Central, Galmudug and Puntland regions.
The IFJ Executive committee member and former Secretary General of the union Omar Faruk Osman has been accused of extreme fraud, obtaining money from the International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) Safety Fund and other donors by false pretenses and for over-staying in the office.
Mr. Osman also refused to convene a General Assembly meeting on August 2008 with the help of Abdirisaq Omar Ismail, the former president of the council which is in complete violation of the NUSOJ Constitution and which goes against the merits of democracy.
The meeting observed that Omar and Abdirisaq had also become dictatorial and was not therefore serving the interest of the members but their own interest. Their continued stay at the leadership of the union has only worked to earn NUSOJ a negative name.
The union officials after noting all the above provisions in the constitution decided to remove the Secretary General. The president of the supreme council decided to save union from a total collapse and restore the image of the union.
The Union’s legitimate officials sent a letter of indictment to the regional court demanding the halt of the illegal activity conducted by the former secretary Genera, Omar Faruk Osman and Abdirisaq Omar Ismail the former president. After his refusal to the court invitation, the union asked the office of the Attorney General of the TFG to impose travel ban.
“We want him to be accountable for his past wrong doings in the union including loss of funds, corruption and violation of union constitution among many others during his term in the office,” NUSOJ President Burhaan Ahmed Daahir said.
The union has filed an indictment case against Omar Faruk Osman and Abdirisak Omar Ismail at the regional court in Mogadishu. The court invited him to appear in the court to defend himself but he did not comply and left the country on 16th March 2011 after paying bribery at the airport. Omar, being an IFJ executive committee member is not beyond the law and is wanted by the law and the case against will continue and justice wins against all evil.
The president of the National Union of Somali Journalists highlighted that the court case against the former Secretary General is an internal union case which is aimed to ensure justice for victims of corruption, violation of labor rights in line with the union constitution, free from government intervention.
The National of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is very much discontented with the IFJ intervention into the internal affairs of the union trying to support its Executive committee member.
The IFJ’s move meant to divert the accusations against its Executive committee member is a total contempt to the union’s struggle for justice. The IFJ is supporting the violators of the union’s rights and making cover up the scandal committed by its Executive committee member Omar Faruk Osman.
Whatever attempts to stop us for finding justice for our union will always end up in failure and we will always continue to stay on our cause and struggle for our legitimate rights and aspirations.
We at the National Union of Somali Journalists call for the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to stop siding its executive committee member and urge IFJ to be the frontline runner for fighting decent work and democratic leadership.
We are very grateful and thankful to the International Federation of Journalists for its long-standing support to the Somali journalists in the time of critical need and hope that we will maintain working together for our common goals.
For More Information, please contact
National Union of Somali Journalists NUSOJ
KM4 Area Hodan District
Mogadishu, Somalia
