Effective immediately, the Akwa Ibom council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has prohibited its members from reporting on the proceedings of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.

The decision was conveyed through a communique released following the Uyo congress on Wednesday, which was signed by Amos Etuk (chairman), Dominic Akpan (secretary), Iniobong Ekponta and Dianime Uko (chairman and secretary of the communique drafting committee), as well as Emem Okon (member).

Due to the appointment of Nkereuwem Udom, a person without a journalism background, as the press secretary by the Akwa Ibom speaker Udeme Otong, the NUJ has opted to abstain from covering the activities of the state assembly

As stated in the communique, the NUJ emphasized that severe sanctions would be imposed on any member found in violation of the directive.

Furthermore, the union called upon the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency to promptly intervene and put an end to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse on Atiku Abubakar Way in order to prevent potential flooding.

The NUJ urged the Federal Road Safety Corps and other relevant traffic management agencies in Akwa Ibom to diligently enforce traffic laws, apprehend, and prosecute traffic violators.

Additionally, the communique requested the police and other security agencies to intensify their surveillance efforts and implement measures to combat the increasing incidents of phone theft in the city of Uyo.