Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

 

 

 

THE Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed and the CEO of the Media Trust Group, Ahmed I. Shekarau, have been re-elected President and Secretary of the Nigerian chapter of International Press Institute (IPI) respectively.

 

Mojeed, Shekarau and four other officials, elected unopposed and sworn in on Thursday, will direct the affairs of the Nigerian affiliate of the global media body for the next three years.

 

A statement issued by a member of the global executive board of the IPI, Raheem Adedoyin, disclosed that other members elected into the executive committee of IPI Nigeria include Fidelis Mbah of Al Jazeera Television (deputy president), Rafatu Salami of Voice of Nigeria (treasurer), Yomi Adeboye of Herald Newspaper (assistant secretary) and Tobi Soniyi of Arise News (legal adviser).

 

Speaking during the inauguration of the new leaders, Mojeed, who promised inclusive administration, solicited the support and commitment of members to enable his team achieve the organisation’s set objectives of enhancing the Nigerian media operating environment.

 

The election of new leaders was preceded by the organisation’s annual general meeting (AGM) where the Mojeed-led executives rendered account of their three-year stewardship and updated members on the financial state of the body. Some sections of the organisation’s constitution were also amended during the AGM.

 

A major highpoint of the event was the arrival of ex-Governor Segun Osoba, a renowned journalist and prominent, longtime member of the IPI. He praised IPI Nigeria members for their commitment to press freedom, journalists’ rights and independent journalism.

 

Mr. Osoba, who recently returned from an overseas trip, further commended the organisation’s leadership for ensuring a successful conference.

 

Apart from ex-Governor Osoba, some other prominent journalists who attended the AGM included a former Editor-In-Chief of Tribune Newspapers (who chaired the forum), Folu Olamiti; former presidential spokesperson and ex-President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Garba Shehu; chairman of the Editorial Board of the Herald and member of the global board of the IPI, Mr. Adedoyin; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Oluwafisan Bankale and the Executive Director of the organisation, Dayo Aiyetan.

 

Some of the other dignitaries at the congress were Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika of the University of Lagos; Kunle Babs, the Nigerian Bureau Chief of Feature Story News; Danlami Nmodu, publisher of Newsdiary Online; Fabian Benjamin, editor-in-chief of JAMB Bulletin; Sule Yau Sule of Bayero University, Kano; Dotun Oladipo, publisher of The Eagle Online; Funke Egbemode, former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors; Ochiaka Ugwu, an editor with Peoples Daily; Ken Ugbechie, publisher of Political Economist; Lawal Sabo Ibrahim, former managing director of The Triumph newspapers; Mohammed Danjuma, publisher of Katsina Times; Christopher Isiguzo, former president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ); Lanre Arogundade, executive director of the International Press Centre; Zainab Suleiman Okino, chair of the editorial board of Blueprint Newspapers; and Hameed Bello, chief operating officer of Peoples Daily newspapers.

 

Earlier on Wednesday, IPI Nigeria hosted a well attended conference with the theme: “Democracy, Media Freedom and the Imperative of Protecting the Nigerian Civic Space.”

 

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who chaired the conference’s opening day session said press freedom exists in Nigeria. The keynote address was delivered by Professor Tony Iredia. He disagreed with the minister, arguing fiercely that press freedom does not exist in Nigeria.

 

The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, gave a presentation on “Dissecting the Frosty Relationship Between the Nigerian Media and Security Agencies” while the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, spoke on “How the Media and Journalists can Partner Anti-corruption Agencies in the Fight Against Corruption.”

 

In the same vein, a former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, addressed participants on the topic “Government Vs Media: How to Reduce Tension, Enhance Mutual Understanding, and Avoid Censorship”.

 

The three-part event concluded on the night of 12th December with a dinner for the organisation’s members, partners, and supporters.

 

The International Press Institute (IPI), with headquarters in Vienna, Austria, is a global network of media executives, editors, and leading journalists. Since its establishment in 1950, it has consistently advocated for journalists’ rights and media freedom worldwide.

 

IPI Nigeria is the Nigerian branch of IPI Global and is totally committed to credible and independent journalism, media freedom, freedom of speech and the free flow of news and information in Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s biggest economy, according to a release by Raheem Adedoyin

 

Member, Executive Board, IPI Global.

A renowned Islamic cleric and preacher, Alhaji Muyideen Ajani Bello is dead.

Bello, according to a family source, died on Friday morning after a brief illness.

 

The cleric, who was once Missioner, Ansar-u-Deen Islamic Society, Kano State Branch, would be buried this evening in Ibadan,” said the source.

 

Details later…

News Flash: Ede Poly wins Gold, Silver at 2024 Intercollegiate Games, as Rector hails teams

 

Combined football teams from the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State have emerged victorious in the just concluded Osun State Intercollegiate Games, 2024, organized by ACE Sports and held at the sports arena of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife.

 

While the male soccer team defeated Osun state College of Technology, Esa-Oke to win gold medal, the female team won silver medal, having being defeated in the final match by Osun state University.

 

Meanwhile, the Rector of the institution, , Engr Dr Sani Man Yahaya has felicitated the team on the landslide victory, as he urged them to sustain the tempo in the future competitions.

 

He also used the medium to commend the resilience of the coaching crew led by Coach Shuab Agboola Akinbode, and his able lieutenant, Coach Dare Owoeye

 

The Rector, therefore, enjoined the entire staff and students of the citadel to redouble their efforts in order to discover many untapped talents within the institution in their various callings

 

He, however, promised to host the two teams at a later date and present the trophys to the Governing Council at a ceremony to be announced in due course.

 

“On behalf of the Governing Council, Management and entire staff and students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, I, Engr Dr Sani Man Yahaya felicitate our male and female soccer teams on this remarkable feats, as I urge them to continue putting in their best to sustain this enviable triump in future tournaments.

 

“Without mincing words, our citadel remains a leading academic arena in the entire country, which is known widely for its traditional excellence in all ramifications; it is then incumbent on every member of this Polytechnic Community to continue working for the advancement of this legacy”, the Rector said.

A fire incident killed six family members in the early hours of Monday in Ede, Osun State. The victims were identified as a Customs officer, Tijani Kabiru, attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, his wife, and four children.

 

The fire reportedly started around 2 am at the family’s residence in the Olowopoku area of Ede.

 

It was gathered that Kabiru, who was in his late 40s, was asleep alongside his wife and five children when the fire, believed to have originated from the solar panel installed on the roof of the house, engulfed the building.

 

“The fire started around 2:09 am from the roof of the house. An electric spark from the solar panel attached to the roof caused the fire.

 

One of the children, a 13-year-old, was reading when the fire started. He ran to his father’s room and realised that his father and other family members were weak due to the emission of smoke. He ran out of the house to call for help. It was difficult for residents of the house to access the house due to the security of the house, like electric barbed wires and strong doors, among others.

 

“We informed the Fire Service men around 3:10 am. But before they arrived at the scene, Tijani, his wife, and four children were burnt to death,” a source disclosed.

 

The Public Relations Officer of Osun State Fire Service, Dekunle Ibraheem, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

 

“It is true that one Tijani, a Customs officer, his wife and four children were burnt to death. Only one of them escaped the scene. Their bodies were handed over to the men of A Division of the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.

Following the 2024 recruitment exercise for Graduate Trainees and Experienced roles, the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) has commenced shortlisting candidates for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) aptitude stage.

 

Some successful applicants on X have attested to receiving the shortlisting emails, which are being gradually sent to successful candidates.

The Osun State Government has explained its decision to relocate the state airport project from Ido-Osun to Ede, citing the need to comply with international aviation standards and address technical inadequacies at the original site.

 

Speaking to journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, Otunba Lai Oriowo, a member of the Osun Airport Technical Committee, disclosed that a total of Five Million, Ninety-One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-One Naira, Twenty-Five Kobo (N5,091,161.25) was paid to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency for Wind Rose and Daily Wind Analysis. He added that Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00) had also been paid as the fee for the airport design.

 

Explaining the relocation, Oriowo stated that the perimeter survey of the Ido-Osun site revealed a total area of approximately 3,871,806.34 square meters (387.18 hectares). He also stated that the existing runway, measuring only 1.67 kilometres, did not meet the required standards.

 

The minimum runway for a standard airport is 4.8 kilometres. The runway length required for a class 4E aircraft is 3,600 x 45 meters, with an additional minimum distance of 750 meters on both approaches for the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) and Clearway, making a total of 5,100 meters against the available dimension of 3,250 meters,” he explained.

 

He further highlighted other technical challenges at the Ido-Osun site, including the proximity of Adeleke Secondary School and settlements that would require relocation. The existing culverts, measuring 65 meters, according to Oriowo, fell short of the required 150 meters to accommodate the runway width and its strip. He added that infrastructure such as the uncompleted terminal building, control tower, and fire and rescue buildings were also poorly positioned relative to the runway, noting that safety areas at both ends of the runway were deemed inadequate, with insufficient land available for proper RESA compliance

“These findings made the old site unsuitable for a full-fledged airport,” Oriowo said, adding that the site would still serve as a training school for the Air Force based on an agreement between the state and the Air Force.

 

Regarding the relocation to Akoda Ede, Oriowo revealed that a team of aviation experts visited the state in May 2024 to assess proposed sites. Following their recommendations, he explained that a perimeter survey of the Akoda site showed a total area of 1,922.111 hectares, which allows for the construction of a 5.6-kilometre runway that meets international standards.

 

Emphasizing the government’s commitment to adhering to aviation standards, Oriowo remarked, “We are technical people and will not delve into political issues. Our focus is on the technical conditions of the Ido-Osun airport site and the standards prescribed by aviation regulations and the International Civil Aviation Authorities.”

 

He noted his involvement in the project’s inception under former Governor Oyinlola and highlighted the efforts of successive administrations. “We all remember the last government actually ceded the project and the site to the Air Force. The letter to that effect is available. When the new administration came on board, it had a duty to set up a technical committee to consider all the issues for a decision. The committee comprises professionals in the aviation sector from far and near,” Oriowo conclude

 

 

 

Osun State Government has opened registration Portal for Imole Youth Corps recruitment, .

 

The Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Hon. Olagunju Olalekan announced this on Thursday, while launching the registration of the Imole Youth Corps Scheme and the Osun Youth Database on OSBC Program

 

The Commissioner revealed that the registration for the Imole Youth Corps will be open for two weeks, while the Osun Youth Database registration will continue indefinitely.

 

During the radio program, Hon. Olagunju provided the registration links: Imole Youth Corps- Imoleyouth.osunstate.gov.ng and Database- www.osunyouthaffairs.com.

 

The Commissioner, who is also known as OMO, has encouraged the youth who are interested in the scheme to register within the two weeks for Imole Youth Corps

 

Hon. Olagunju, however, added that further information about the Imole Youth Corps Scheme will be disseminated through various media channels.