Rep sponsors Oyo NUJ tour of Ghana ...as Rawlings hosts delegates at home
By Wale Ojo-Lanre
The Chairman Oyo NUJ, Comrade Wale Ojo-Lanre
addressing NDC top party leadersSome
members of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists were hosted to an interactive session by the former President of Ghana, Mr. J. J. Rawlings, at his home in Accra on Saturday, 24 May, 2008.
The 14 members were on a four-day tour of Ghana which was sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Folake Olunloyo-Osinowo, as her own contribution to the advancement and enhancement of journalism in the state.
The members who were led on the tour by the Chairman, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, included Mrs. Ronke Fajeminekan, BCOS, Messrs Segun Lawole, NTA, Seye Ojo, The Sun, Bisi Oladele, The Nation, Wole Efunuga, Tribune, Wale Olapade, Tribune, Bola Ogunlayi, BSES Ekiti, Gbenga Ayoade, State Information, Alhaji Lanre Ganiyu, State Information, Remi Ladoye, IIJ and others.
Welcoming the journalists to his home, the former President commended the proactive stance of Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre for being able to think that his members have to interact with their counterparts in other countries.
“Honestly speaking, I commend the pro-activeness of your chairman who I learnt believes that such an interaction with your colleagues in other countries will not only boost professional networking but regional media integration.”
Mr. Rawlings said that Nigeria and Ghana were siamese twins with a long historical ties which could not be obliterated from history.
He pointed out that the story of decolonization, political struggle for independence and sociol cultural cohabitation of the two countries could not be underestimated.
“We all have a common and comparable experience and relationships.”
Mr. Rawlings, however, admonished media practitioners in Africa not to embrace the culture of silence.
“I am happy you are here but I am sad that some of you have taken solace in the wilderness of silence. This is an omen. You are the last hope of the masses. You are the agenda setters and you are the monitors, hence your name, the watch dog, but when you, the watch dog, is keeping silent, closing its eyes and behaving like nothing is happening when horrendous evils are being perpetrated, then we are all doomed.”
Mr. Rawlings called on the visiting Oyo NUJ members to be persistent and lives-up to the charter of the profession. “You don’t keep silent. You don’t keep mum. You must not be frustrated, but be strong in faith and committed to your callings. You people can not afford to let us down.”
The delegate also visited the Metro Television, which is the second largest television station in Ghana.
Welcoming the delegate, the Deputy Chief Executive of Metro TV, Mr. Alhassan Haruna, commended the visiting journalists for being able to leave their country for an eductour of another.
“This is what our union should encourage. We should not limit our interaction to when we meet at international assignments, but let’s strive to shift base to network, interact and feel how it is over there or down here.”
Mr. Haruna said the success of Metro TV as one of the privately owned stations in Ghana was due to “our priority and marketing strategies.”
He pointed out that “We do research on what people love to see not what we believe they will like to see and we back it up with effective marketing.”
Mr. Haruna said that Nigeria has produced and still producing finest minds in journalism in Africa.
“I have interacted with many Nigerian journalists and they were fantastic. Nigeria has a lot of rich human potentialities.”
Also at the TV Africa, another privately owned television station, the NUJ team was given a rousing welcome.
The delegates also had a chat with the political leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and also visited the Yoruba Oba in Ghana.
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