By Dayo Adesulu
STUDENTS  of Times Journalism Institute, Lagos have alleged that some people are conniving with the Bureau of Public Enterprises to kill the school.

In order to produce good journalists, the importance of training and retraining can not be over emphasize, as the relative peace  we are enjoying in our nation today could be traced to the role the media played. If you want to destroy a nation, destroy the media. This is coming against the backdrop of the recent experience of Time Journalism Institute and the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

Speaking recently to journalists, the General Secretary to the Students’ Union Government, Times Journalism Institute, Surulere, Amaka Okpara reiterated that the union had watched with the greatest surprise and concern the reckless way in which some people are conniving with Bureau of Public Enterprises to kill the Times Journalism Institute, Lagos.

Okpara lamented the lukewarm attitude on the part of the Government through its agent, Bureau of Public Enterprises, who descended on the Daily Times empire like vultures and literally reduced it to zero.

She said: “The government and stakeholders should  note that at the moment, we understand that Nineteen Million naira (NI9, 000.000) have so far been received from a church operating in the school premises under the disguise of lease for three years.

This ugly development has now culminated in the church taking over the school as landlords, while the Times Journalism Institute has become a tenant in its own house. We are asking all stakeholders to rise up to the occasion and save the school from imminent destruction and final collapse.”

Consequent on that, She insisted  that what is now left of the one time vibrant, modem and richest newspaper organization in Nigeria, and indeed Africa, is nothing but relics, stressing that the only edifice remaining of the Daily Times is this Institute that offers a professional training school that has, over the years, produced qualified professionals in this country.

According to Okpara, the Institution may be taken over by a church to which about 85 percent of the premises have been ceded through a phony 3-years lease agreement between the proprietor of the church and the Anosikes adding that they were forced to bring this development to the notice of the Government and all stakeholders of the institution who are not aware of this very sad situation and whom we know have genuine interest in the professional training of journalists in this country.

Analyzing the negative effects of the situation, the union leader maintained that the unwholesome act means that completion of their various courses at the Institution is currently in jeopardy.

Though it has taken the Federal Government six years to realize this grand deceit in Daily Times, Okpara urged the Federal Government not to only  prosecute the perpetrators, but to probe how a church came into the premises of Times Journalism Institute.

“We also request that the Federal Government and all the institution’s stakeholders should join hands and seek a court injunction that will return the school to its status quo ante,” she said,

Moreover, she enjoined Government to urgently breathe life into the school or grant express permission to its stakeholders i.e. the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Alumni Association or other individual eminent stakeholders to take over the administration of the school for the sustenance of sound journalism training in Nigeria.

The union commended the Federal Government for coming out boldly to prosecute the Anosike brothers and others saying that they are calling for a further  probe to unravel the ulterior motives of the church owners, the role of Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Anosike brothers and whoever was involved.