Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has appointed the immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ) Delta State Council, Comrade Norbert Chiazor, as Special Assistant on Media.
Chiazor served as director Media and strategic communication, to Hon Prince Ned Nwoko senatorial campaigns in the 2019 elections and also rallied media publicity for Nwoko’s Operation Return Okowa 2019 culminating in electoral success of the governor.
The seasoned journalist is expected to bring his vast experience to bear in the propagation of the policy thrusts of the Okowa administration.
A 1992 graduate of English/Literature, University of Benin Mr Chiazor also holds a degree in Mass Communication , Delta State University and Masters Degree in Mass Communication, University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN.
The veteran journalist and wordsmith who hails from Idumuje unor in Aniocha North local government area of Delta State was until his appointment, deputy general manager/ Head of News and current affairs department, Delta broadcasting service warri where he disengaged from service in October 2019 after a phenomenal journalism career that began in Bendel Broadcasting service Benin city.
Chiazor was at various times freelance journalist in leading local and international newspapers including The Guardian newspaper and National Concord now defunct as well as Mail & Guardian of South Africa, Irish Times and The Sowetan. He has published article in the New York based globally read newspaper International Herald Tribune.
He was Eden Grove research fellow, department of media and communication studies, Rhodes University, Grahamstown South Africa in 2002 and also attended online journalism training held in 2014 by One World Media United Kingdom in collaboration with the London Guardian .
A brilliant and respected journalist, Chiazor was Delta NUJ Chairman from 2011 – 2017 serving an unprecedented tenure of six years with sterling performance that earned the union popular prestige and glory .
While on the saddle as NUJ chairman, Chiazor initiated the building of the NUJ press centre at Asaba , which is almost completed today by the Okowa administration, got official vehicles for the union , secured educational fellowship programme in the republic of Azerbaijan, Eastern Europe for members, sponsored by the international Press Institute IPI and trained over 40 Delta based journalists in the famous RUETERS journalism institute UK in 2012 and 2013 sponsored by the Delta state government, under the Uduaghan administration.
Chiazor’s long drawn inclination to the mass media has led him to conferences, seminars and academic fellowships in parts of Africa, Ireland , Britain , France, Switzerland and Cayman island among others.
