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‘Change must also reflect in media practice’

By Margaret Mwantok 
23 May 2016   |   2:17 am
A call has gone to stakeholders in the media industry to ensure that the change mantra going through our nation also permeates the industry so that media practitioners can truly discharge ...

TELECOMMMPN commends Lawal’s election as Lagos NAWOJ head
A call has gone to stakeholders in the media industry to ensure that the change mantra going through our nation also permeates the industry so that media practitioners can truly discharge their responsibility as watchdog of the society.

Making this call recently, the new chairman, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos Chapter, Hajia Sekinah Lawal canvassed the need for special salary scale for journalists. She stated this after her emergence as the new Chairman, Lagos NAWOJ.

The new head who is also Assistant Editor, National Mirror newspapers, was elected unopposed at the monthly congress of the association in Ikeja-Lagos. She succeeded Mrs. Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu who had served two terms in office.

The secretary of the association, Ifejola Otun and the Treasurer, Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha of The Nation were also returned unopposed.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Lawal said the new team would make training and retraining of members an important aspect of its programmes both in terms of getting better professionally and as entrepreneurs during and after active service.

Hajia Lawal promised to put in place a reconciliation committee to resolve all issues of aggrieved members emanated during the election.

“Also, we will be collaborating with our parent body to ensure that members’ welfare are taken care of so that we can truly discharge our duties as the watch-dog of the society. The change mantra going through our nation must also reflect in the media profession. Ours is going to be a team work and I can assure all members that we will all need to serve the association in various capacity,” she said.

The Chairman of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Deji Elumoye said some of the contestants were not cleared because they did not meet some of the NUJ Constitutional requirements.

“We will be setting a bad precedent if we have to be waiving the union’s constitutional requirements. But we believe all issues will be amicably resolved” Elumoye noted.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has commended the election of Hajiya Sekinah Lawal as the new head of Lagos NAWOJ.

In a separate statement by the National President of MMPN, Alhaji Abdurrahman Balogun and Chairman, Lagos Chapter, Alhaji Abdulkabir Alabi, her election was described as an act of God.

Balogun said: “Only Allah gives power and position to whom He pleases, it has therefore pleased Allah (SWT) that she will be the chairperson of the association.
“We are confident she will use her wealth of experience to bring everybody into the fold and pave the way for the uplift of women journalists in Lagos,” he said.

Similarly, Lagos MMPN chairman urged the number one female journalist in the state to use her new position to impact on the womenfolk positively by being proactive and professional.

According to Alabi, “It is Allah’s will that she leads the female journalists in the state. So, we implore her to fear Allah and lead by example. She has to be fair to all irrespective of religious and ethnic backgrounds so as not betray the amana (trust) reposed in her.  At this point, MMPN believes she will work hard to uplift the women journalists’ body as well as the profession and leave an indelible mark during her tenure of office.”

Hajia Lawal is also the Treasurer of MMPN, Lagos Chapter.  The appointment came the following day she emerged as NAWOJ head.

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