An emergency Congress of the Kwara Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Thursday ordered members  of the state executive of the union to step aside.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the union held in Ilorin, Kwara.

NAN further gathered that the decision was arrived at to pave way for an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Life Assurance Scheme of its members.

The congress also resolved that the "State's Enlarged Committee", comprising the chairmen and secretaries of various chapels in the state, to take charge pending the outcome of the investigation.

The motion to suspend the executive council was moved by Mr Olanrewaju Lawal of the Correspondent Chapel.

Thereafter, the congress appointed the Chairman of the state information unit, Mr Sunday Oyedele to head the enlarged committee which would steer the affairs of the council for the meantime.

Meanwhile, a five man-committee has been appointed to investigate any misconduct in the lodgment to the National body of the sum of N1.69 million released by the state government for the life insurance scheme of the NUJ members in the state.

The congress mandated the committee to be chaired by Pastor Sunday Bello of Federated Chapel to investigation any anomaly in relation to the money that was released since Dec. 21, 2012.

The committee was also asked to determine why the family of the late Sola Owolabi of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had not been contacted for payment by the appointed insurance company.

The congress resolved that the committee should make appropriate recommendations based on its findings.

The committee was given four weeks to submit its findings and recommendations.

NAN reports that the crisis broke up in the state council of the NUJ following the death of Owolabi and the refusal of payment of insurance compensation to his family.

It was gathered that Owolabi and some other members were strangely not captured in the scheme.

NAN recalled that the whole insurance premium for all members of the state council had since been released and was thought to have covered all the journalists in the council. (NAN)