Accolades as Oyo NUJ Holds Pen Night

By Dayo Adu

It was a night of accolades as Journalists in Oyo State, on Friday, converged on Jogor centre, Ibadan to recognise distinguished individuals and corporate organisations for their impacts in the society.

The event tagged Pen Night climaxed the week-long 2023 press week of the union was filled with merriments and the dinning between men of the fourth estate of the realm with who is who in the society.

The atmosphere got charged when award recipients took their turn to receive award plaque in recognition of their exploits in the nation.

Receiving the award of Most Consistent politician, Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who chronicled his political journey since 1996, praised members of the Oyo NUJ for being objective and unbiased in their reportage of political events.

“They are reporting things and being fair to everybody, they are doing a good job, they should continue, we are very happy with what journalists are doing in Oyo state, it’s a good job.”

In a goodwill message, President-General, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII,  Barrister Ajeniyi Ajewole, enjoined journalists to work towards the development of Ibadanland and Oyo state in general to enable it sustain the pace setter status both in Nigeria and African.

Earlier in an address of welcome, Chairman NUJ Oyo State Council, Alhaji Demola Babalola, urged the government to leverage on the potentials of technology to improve the living standard of the people, noting that the current economic realities in the country required a holistic approach to ameliorate the suffering of the masses.

“This day in Nigeria, there’s poverty, parents can no longer afford to pay school Fees and buy books for their children anymore, people are hurt, poverty is  everywhere. Government should invest in artificial intelligence to advance the course of economy and fastback the development of  the country.”

Alhaji Babalola advised President Bola Tinubu to rejig his economic policies to crash down the exchange rates and enhance the purchasing power of naira both in local and foreign markets.