Lifestyle

Makinde Urges Journalists to Sustain Public Trust

By Web News 269

By Bello Fasilat

Fact-checking will not only ensure the credibility of information but also sustain public trust in journalists. 

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde stated this at the opening ceremony of 2024 Press week of Nigeria Union Of Journalists, NUJ Oyo State Council held at Dapo  Aderogba Hall, Press Center Iyaganku Ibadan. 

Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Bayo Lawal said journalists needed to interrogate issues, most especially the ones affecting people before they are transmitted to the public.

Governor Makinde, citing the lingering issues in the ongoing local government autonomy noted that media professionals as the Fourth Estate of the realm should be alive to their responsibilities by being accountable and transparent.

Chairman of the occasion, who is also former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippines and Cambodia, Ambassador Yemi Faronbi called for true federalism to give room for adequate local government autonomy in the country. 

Ambassador Faronbi applauded Governor Makinde for his leadership style and commitment to the welfare of citizens in the state.  

In a remark, former Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly, OYHA, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu emphasized the importance of true federalism for solid local government autonomy in Nigeria. 

Senator Sunmonu, who said during her tenure as Speaker, she pioneered the process towards the autonomy of local government and the state House of Assembly, affirmed that the country would achieve the desired local government autonomy when relevant sections of the 1999 constitution are amended. 

In a goodwill message, Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaiman Olanrewaju stressed the need for journalists to be constructive in their criticism.

Earlier in an address of welcome, Oyo State NUJ chairman, Chief Ademola Babalola congratulated  members of the union for this year’s Press Week, urging them to always abide by the ethics of the profession. 

Chief Babalola also expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his support to NUJ since his inception as Governor of Oyo State. 

The event featured presentation of awards to  Governor Seyi Makinde who is the Grand Patron of the union, Deputy Governor, Chief Bayo Lawal, Senator Monsurat Sunmunu and Amofin Beulah Adeoye. 

Other activities included cultural display and goodwill messages.

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Governance

Forum Calls for Renegotiation of Governance Structure

By Web News 374

By Dayo Adu

Participants at a one-day symposium have called for renegotiation of the nation’s government structure to make it more functional and closer to the people.

They made the call while speaking at the symposium organised by The Rebirth Group, TRG, a socio-cultural organisation.

The Symposium with the theme: Nigeria – from Founding Fathers to the Prodigal Sons and Daughters; the Challenges of Nation Building and Development had as participants representatives of organised ethnic groups, civil society organisations, professional bodies, academia, religious and traditional rulers to deliberate on factors hindering the actualisation of the dreams and visions of Nigeria’s founding fathers.

Participants took turns to enumerate the landmark achievements of past political heroes and the prevailing challenges that had caused the present-day dwindling fortune intending to form workable and lasting solutions to them.

In an address, Nigeria’s Former Ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi, who relayed his experience as Nigeria’s representative outside the country, said he was treated specially because of the population and economic strength of the country on the continent and the world

He advocated restructuring of the federal system of government where state governments would have more authority to handle issues of security, management of mineral resources and infrastructural development in their domains 

In a keynote address, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, John Ayoade, who said the problem of Nigeria was foundational, explained that the country as a federal republic was yet to assume its full status due to the overbearing power of the presidency which had given rise to fighting, scheming, resources deprivation and misinterpretation of rotational presidency.

Contributing, Deputy Director-General, Operations, Northern Elders Forum, Professor Sadiq Gombe, ascribed the problem of Nigeria to a lack of consensus by the elites, saying this had caused division among the polity and the agitation for secession 

Other participants including the Alayemore of Ido-Osun Kingdom, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, a Cleric, Primate Sola Shittu, and representative of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Ndidi Nzeako advocated collegiate central government to make the government a sizable and smart one.

Earlier in an address of welcome, the convener of The Rebirth Group, Deacon Owolabi Oladejo proposed to revert to a Regional system of government where citizens would be treated with fairness and equality.

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Lifestyle

Broadcasters need to constantly update their knowledge – Farounbi

By Web News 872

A veteran Broadcaster, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi has stressed the need for broadcasters to always conduct adequate research of their contents before disseminating them to the public.

Ambassador Farounbi said this at a day refresher training organised by Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria, FIBAN, Oyo State Chapter for broadcasters in Oyo State.

The former Ambassador to the Philippines said broadcasters must be well informed than their target audience and also desist from self-praise singing in their programmes, describing the act as unprofessional. 

Also speaking, the Zonal Coordinator, National Broadcasting Commission, Ibadan Zone, Mr. Raphael Akpan, noted that broadcasters should always come up with content that would be at par with the digital age of broadcasting. 

Mr. Akpan equally condemned the attitude of some Yoruba newscasters who are in the habit of not translating their news bulletins.

In a remark, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun challenged media professionals to always fashion out modalities that would drive more revenues to their stations.

Earlier, the Oyo State chairman of FIBAN, Mr. Seun Awodele, had stated that the training was organized to broaden the horizon of broadcasters on modern-day techniques.

The training afforded the participants the opportunity to undergo various technical sessions on Advance Scriptwriting, voice training and creative content development for the digital age.

Olaolu Fawole

News

FITAC Organises 60th Anniversary of WNTV

By Web News 1241

The sixtieth anniversary of Western Nigeria Television, WNTV, the first television in Africa put together by Foundation for Ibadan Television Anniversary Celebration, FITAC, has commenced with photo exhibition held at Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Ibadan premises in Agodi, Ibadan.

The event had in attendance ace broadcasters and veterans in the media industry who worked as staffers of WNTV.

Speaking on the essence of the programme, Chairman Board of Trustee, FITAC, Ambassador Yemi Farombi said it was to celebrate sixty years of excellence and dedication, noting that WNTV was a national legacy which should be cherished forever.

Ambassador Farombi explained that WNTV which had metamorphosed to NTA preceded television broadcast in France, Ireland and South Africa among other countries.

In separate remarks, Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Ibadan National Station, Alhaji Mohammed Bello and his counterpart from Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Engineer Omolola Olorode encouraged practicing journalists to learn from the dexterity of the old hands who worked successfully with analog gadgets and maximize the potentials of digital broadcasting.

Some of the equipment used during the early days of broadcasting in Nigeria

The veteran broadcasters took turns to visit the Exhibition Room where equipment of yesteryears were displayed in reminiscence of what broadcasting was.

Ambassador Yemi Farounbi taking Oyo Dep. Gov. Engr Rauf Olaniyan round the Exhibition Room

In a message after the visit to the Exhibition Room, Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan noted that NTA had been improving in relation to advancement in technology.

Engineer Makinde pledged to support alumni of WMTV/WNBS to ensure that history was not erased.

Adedayo Adelowo