We’ll sustain support for state-owned media — Aiyedatiwa

…as Ondo Governor Bags “The Hope Man of the Year” Award

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has pledged sustained authorities enactment for state-owned media, with a committedness to beforehand professionalism, fairness, and neutrality successful their reportage.

Aiyedatiwa made the committedness aft receiving the “Man of the Year” grant from Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope newspaper, successful Akure. The grant recognized his contributions to governance and improvement successful the state.

Lauding the improved outlook of The Hope nether its caller management, the politician noted that credibility and spot stay cardinal to effectual journalism.

“For us, media is not conscionable astir quality dissemination, it is astir credibility and trust. That is wherefore this medication volition proceed to springiness each indispensable enactment to Owena Press Limited truthful that The Hope tin thrive arsenic a vibrant, independent, and nonrecreational platform,” helium said.

Represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, Aiyedatiwa added: “We volition not let partisanship oregon bias to erode its mandate. Fairness, objectivity, and neutrality volition stay the guiding principles.”

He further assured of his administration’s committedness to creating an enabling situation for journalists to run freely and responsibly, stressing that the media’s relation successful deepening ideology cannot beryllium compromised.

Delivering a lecture titled “Nigerian Democracy: How Patriotic Are Modern-Day Nigerians?”, a erstwhile lawmaker, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, warned that Nigeria’s ideology risks illness unless urgent reforms are undertaken to reconstruct patriotism among politicians.

Ijabiyi lamented that galore leaders spot self-interest supra nationalist welfare, undermining nationalist trust. Citing research, helium described arsenic “alarming” that less than 10% of Nigerians are consenting to marque sacrifices for the nation, compared to Morocco (94%), Pakistan (89%), and Fiji (94%).

He identified corruption, vote-buying, anemic institutions, and wealth authorities arsenic cardinal threats to patriotism, portion recommending electoral reforms, merit-based appointments, and beardown autarkic institutions to rebuild nationalist loyalty and accountability.

He besides welcomed the reintroduction of Civic Education and Nigerian History into the nationalist curriculum, describing it arsenic captious for instilling patriotism and civic work successful young Nigerians.

Earlier, Chairman of Owena Press Limited, Mr. Kayode Fasua, highlighted his 11-month stewardship, which included repairing printing machines and vehicles, reviving Weekend Hope, strengthening the paper’s online beingness (now attracting implicit 50,000 regular readers worldwide), and launching The Hope Magazine.

Fasua noted that The Hope remains the lone surviving state-owned paper successful the South-West, attributing its resilience to “providence and bully governance.” He assured the nationalist of continued fairness and neutrality successful the paper’s reportage.

Other honorees astatine the lawsuit included Barr. Olumuyiwa Adu (Most Accessible Grassroots Politician), Mr. Adeolu Williams (Entrepreneur Icon), Mr. Foluso Aminu (Public Administrator Par Excellence), Dr. Damilola Oshin (Education Icon), Chief Olamide Oladiji (Best Performing Speaker), Prof. Adenike Oladiji (Academic Excellence), and Oba Olajide David Okunato (Community/Media Friendly Award).

Also recognized were Mrs. Tomisin Edu Falade (Game Changer successful Political Inclusion), Dr. Samuel Oluranti Oke (Prime Youth Motivator), Senator Remi Okunrinboye (Lifetime Achiever), Mr. David Ajobiewe (Compassionate Grassroots Leader), Otunba Wale Akinlosotu (ICT & Regional Integration Advocate), Prof. Temi Ologunorisa (Reformer successful Education), Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Yayi-Akorede (Outstanding Islamic Leadership), Alhaji Amidu Takuro (Beacon of Integrity), Mr. Anyaku Emmanuel (Excellence Philanthropist), Mr. Segun Omoyofunmi (Youth Advocate), and Mr. Ademola Odudu (Rare Role Model successful NURTW).

Adu, portion praising The Hope arsenic an “image maker” for Ondo State, urged citizens to enactment its maturation and called connected governmental leaders to rally down Governor Aiyedatiwa.

Another impermanent lecturer, Dr. Oludare Marindoti, cautioned that societal media had usurped the mentorship relation older politicians should play, informing that it was influencing the y...