Elder Patrick Albert and A’Ibom NUJ - the rebirth series and ICT Resource Center

BY EMMANUEL IKPE

The world they say has gone global and what makes it possible is the ICT. ICT means Information and Communication Technology; it is the new system of information sharing method across boarder and territories.

 
One could imagine, in the old days when there was nothing like GSM phone or Laptops or Desktop computers and presumably the system of communication was cumbersome and frustrating if considered at all.

 
This has been the case with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council 26 years ago. It has not been possible having facility like this at the Union secretariat.

Those who have been able to have anything to at the NUJ Center with regards to ICT were in bondage before the advent of Elder Patrick Albert in August I, 2013. Before now, the visitors and business associate and client of the union the union were used to resort to Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat or University of Uyo to photocopy any of their documents.

 
I could remember during the 2010 screening of the membership of the union, I have to transport myself to Ikpa Road to photocopied my credentials after when I spent a lots of time to photocopy the same document at the IMFI but to no avail, but today, the story has change, it is now a press on the button, your right of movement on the information super high way. 

 
This would not have been possible, but for the charismatic leadership of Elder Patrick Albert, who promised to bring Rebirth to the union going by the state of things and the way and manner the union was run in what I could called “one man business’’ or casual business center or meeting point nothing like live was found around the premises.

 
Less I forget, yes there were some hardware system in one of the abandoned cubicle at the NUJ Center called ‘’computer room’’. According to eye witnesses, the said computer room was like a no go area, a mare peep into the computer room was like one peeping into a pit toilet which was abandoned for many year before it was later used by refugees.

 
Today, the first point of call of journalists and visitors to the what I can describe as the ‘’New NUJ’’ under Eder Patrick Albert is the ICT RESOURCE CENTER because of its state of the art facilities and equipments.
The NUJ ICT RESOURCE CENTER otherwise known as the Barr Emmanuel Enoidem Resource Centre has in it kitty a Hotspot Wi-Fi which enables members and visitors to the center to access the web free of charge.

 
Today, journalist in Akwa Ibom State can now have website they can proudly called their own. The domain name is www.aksnuj.com, the union now operated on the social media like twitter, facebook, yahoo messenger, YouTube and Skype. NUJ Press center, Uyo  is now a place where you can photocopy 5000 copies of paper within 20 minutes and I do not know when I will go back to Ikpa Road or IMFI to photocopy my documents, but all I can say now is glory be to God and honour to Eld Patrick Albert and the sponsored like Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem and the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elder Sam Ikon and others who might have contributed one thing or the other to the realization of the project.

 
The ICT Resource Center apart from being useful to journalists and visitors alike, it is also a solution to students and lecturers of the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) Uyo Study Centre which is currently operating under a makeshift arrangement at the press centre.

 
The students now used the ICT Center for their research works, solving their assignment and other educational works. Today, one can have a place within the centre to type his work unlike before.

 
You can imagine a press centre without an ICT center, today one can access Ibom E-Library from the NUJ ICT Centre and to your surprise, Akwa Ibom State has been the first Secretariat of the NUJ to have website in the creation of Nigeria, wonders shall never end.

 
However, journalists in Akwa Ibom can say we have a place where we can now use for any Information and Communication Technology and other purposes.
The NUJ ICT Resource Centre is fully equipped with modern or executive chairs, table and desks, split unit ACs, Ceiling Fans Two Television sets that add color and glamour to users of the ICT.

 
The NUJ ICT Resource Center has attracted a lot of accolades to the State Chairman of the union whom has been described as the uncommon chairman. The uncommon chairman has equally been criticized by those who yearned to succeed him even with their inability to perform just like Elder Patrick Albert if given the opportunity.

 
There is no gain saying the fact that the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has witnessed a Rebirth in the area of ICT despite effort by those one could describe as enemy of progress to paint the uncommon achievements in a bad light.

 
These band wagon of antagonists have resorted to blackmail and politics of calumny to sabotage the glorious and worthy achievements of the NUJ Elder Albert led administration. One could wonder from where cometh the enemies of progress, but it interest you to know that the said enemies of progress are far from within, but members of the union, those which by assessment have contributed less meaningful than what they have taken home from the union under Elder Albert led administration. 

 
These are the same people who once upon a time pretended to be jolly good fellow but now resorted to blaspheme, character assassination, litigation, blackmails and all sort of rag tagging and yellow journalism just caused disaffection among the stakeholders in order to attract favor that will promote their selfish interest which by my judgment is not in favor of the generality of members of the union.

 
These enemies of progress just other well wishers used the ICT Resource Center to typed their petition letters to litigate against the amiable leadership of the Elder Patrick Albert whose unprecedented achievement in the area of ICT have been highly celebrated by the National Leadership of the NUJ.

 
The immediate past president of the union, Comrade Muhamed Garba had lauded the achievement of the Elder Albert leadership of the NUJ in all ramifications and ICT inclusive. Members of the union in the State are very happy with the developmental strides of Elder Patrick Albert in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

 
They are now satisfied that gone are the days when they used to trake a long distance and sometimes spend a lot of money just to have a document photocopied, yes photocopied, this is better imagined than experienced, if you ever have anything to do with a document or ICT you will understand what I mean.

 
Let me however use this opportunity to thanked those who might have been of assistant in whatever way or the other to the successes of Elder Patrick Albert in the provision of the ICT Centre and to rally further support to his administration even as we continue to utilize the main purpose of the resource centre which was complemented with the acquisition and distribution of 170 Laptops to members and all we can say is, to God be the glory as the Rebirth Series of the Elder Patrick Albert led administration continues in Akwa Ibom NUJ .