The National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ) in Kwara State on Wednesday elected new executive that will run its affairs for the next three years.
Members of the league in a unanimous decision returned the league’s chairman, Alh Mohammed Tunde Akanbi for a second term of office, citing his superlative performance as reason for their decision.
They also returned all other members of the immediate past executive and elected three other members into the executive.
The inauguration of the new executives was witnessed by top government officials and media gurus.
Those who graced the colourful event included the state commisioner for Communication, Bola Olukoju, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), AbdulLateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, state director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Segun Adeyemi and Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on Religion (Islam, Alh Ibrahim Danmaigoro.
The media guru that graced the ceremony included a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the founder of Albarka FM, Alh Bashir Adigun, the managing director of National Pilot Newspapers, Alh Billy Adedamola, the director of Administration, Radio Kwara, Sikiru Azeez; director of Information, Ministry of Communication, Alhaji Gani Atere and director of Public Orientation, Alhaji Salah.
The league also used the forum to honour the newly appointed General Managers for Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation ( Radio Kwara), Kwara Television Service ( KWTV) and Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation, publisher of The Herald newspapers, Messrs Kayode Aremu, Ayobami Akanbi and Yomi Adeboye respectively.
In his acceptance speech, Alh Akanbi, thanked NALVEJ members for the confidence they reposed in him and other members of his team.
He pledged to take the league to a more greater heights during his second term of office.
The NALVEJ chairman thanked the state governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq for his tremendous support for both the veteran and young journalists in the state; adding that the chosen of indigenous journalists as new general managers for the state owned media outfits was another testimony of the governor’s love and respect for journalists in the state.
In her remarks, the commissioner for Communication, Bola Olukoju, called for journalists continuous support for the programmes and activities of Governor AbdulRazaq’s led administration.
Olukoju said concerted efforts would be made by her and her team to showcase the governor’s giant strides in all sector through appropriate communication platforms.
The NUJ chairman, Ahmed who hailed the governor for his support for the state’s media outfits, solicited for more assistance to the media to enable them perform optimally.
In a goodwill message, the NIPR fellow and immediate past special adviser on Strategy to the state governor, Alh Saadu Salahu, hailed the governor for appointing journalists into public offices in the state.
He thanked the governor for appointing a communication expert, Bola Olukoju as commisioner for Communication; and tested and experienced professionals as the general managers of the state owned media outfits.
Also speaking, the founder of Albarka FM and immediate past special adviser on Political Communications, Alh Bashir Adigun, congratulated Olukoju and the three general managers of the state media outfits on their well deserved appointments.
The immediate past chairmen of the board of directors of KWTV and Radio Kwara, Alh Hameed Adio and Mr Kayode Adeyipo, also in their goodwill messages, attested to the love and respect the governor has for both working and veteran journalists in the state.
Other members of NALVEJ executives are Ola-Olu Ajayi ( vice chairman), Mudasiru Adewuyi (secretary), Doyin Christie (Asst secretary), Sule Sabi ( treasurer), Silifat Adeyemi ( financial secretary, Gbenga Olarinoye ( welfare officer), Tunde Bello ( auditor), AbdulRahman AbdulMalik ( legal adviser and Abdullahi Olesin ( publicity secretary).
