The Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has elected a new set of executives to steer the affairs of the union for the next three years, with Mr. Akeem Abas of the News Agency of Nigeria emerging as chairman.

Abas, who belongs to the Correspondents’ Chapel, clinched the top seat with 143 votes, defeating Mr. Raji Adebayo, also of the Correspondents’ Chapel, who polled 118 votes, and Mr. Olusola Oladapo of the Federal Information Chapel, who scored 59 votes.

In the contest for the vice chairmanship position, Mr. Abiodun Atilola of the State Information Chapel secured a comfortable victory with 205 votes, while his opponent, Mr. Sam Nwaoko of the Tribune Chapel, garnered 112 votes.

The secretaryship position was won by Mr. Temidayo Adu of the FRCN Chapel, who recorded 166 votes, defeating Mr. Adeniji Olamide of the State Information Chapel, who polled 149 votes.

In his acceptance speech, Abas expressed gratitude to members of the union, describing his emergence as a collective victory for journalists across the state.

“I stand before you today with a heart full of gratitude and humility,” he said. “I deeply appreciate the confidence you have placed in me through your votes. This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every journalist across Oyo State who believes in unity, progress and a more vibrant NUJ.”

He pledged to run an administration anchored on fairness, transparency and professionalism.
“I will work with every chapel, every stakeholder and every colleague to build the council we all desire — a council driven by welfare, professionalism and respect for all,” he stated.

Declaring that the election produced no victor and no vanquished, Abas urged members to close ranks and move forward with a shared sense of purpose.
“At this juncture, I hereby declare a state of emergency on professionalism,” he added.

Meanwhile, the positions of Financial Secretary, Auditor and Assistant Secretary remain vacant and will be filled through a by-election at a later date.

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Mr. Demola Babalola of Fresh FM  conveniently secured 179 votes to emerge, chairman, defeating his only rival, Mr. Adewumi Faniran of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria  (FRCN), who polled 6 votes, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Also, Mr. Sola Oladapo of Federal Information Chapel had 175 votes to emerge, Secretary, while his rival,  Mr Bola Ogunlayi of Time Nigeria Magazine polled 10 votes.

Continuing, Mr. Akeem Abas of NAN  won the treasurer position after polling 167 votes to defeat Mrs. Busola Adetunji of the State Ministry of Information who polled 18 votes.

NAN reports that there was wild jubilation after the conclusion of the election and announcement of results of the three positions contested for.

NAN also added that the swearing-in of the newly elected officers was immediately conducted by Mr. Adebayo Salawu, an Ibadan based legal practitioner, in the presence of the Senior Assistant National Secretary of NUJ, Mr. Gbemiga Bamidele.

Babalola, while reacting to his victory vowed   to uphold the constitution of the union during his tenure as well as treat all members with fairness and equity.

“Let me use this medium to thank all members who supported me and those who supported my opponent.

“It is indeed a great honour for me to be elected to lead this union and I promise to be chairman to all.

” There is a better future for our union. The election has come and gone, we are one big family in NUJ. I appeal to all and sundry to be part of this new administration”, he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Tribune Chapel of NUJ, Mr. Tunde Busari advised the new executive to reflect on the past and fulfill its promises to uplift the union.

“Three years ago, Babalola lost the election but today he has won. He must use his experience outside of power to achieve the purpose for which he aspired for the position of chairman of the Oyo State Council of NUJ.

“I believe if he does that his administration will be successful”.

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The correspondent was given first aide treatment at the venue by the Red Cross and returned to cover the assignment.

According to her, President Buhari who performed the inauguration restated the Federal Government’s commitment to vigorously pursue rail development in Nigeria through the implementation of the railway master plan.

Buhari said this during the commissioning of additional locomotives and coaches at Rigasa Station in Kaduna State.

He noted that the Abuja-Kaduna rail line was a major achievement because it has met the needs of the masses, just as he reiterated his administration’s commitment to linking all major commercial and production centres by rail for rapid social economic development and improving the quality of life of the citizens as well as improving the national integration.

Buhari said, “you may also recall that during the commissioning in July 2016, I reiterated our commitment to vigorously pursue rail development in Nigeria through the implementation of the 25 years strategic Railway Master Plan.

“ We are encouraging private sector participation in Railway with negotiation ongoing with the General Electric (GE) on the concessioning of the narrow gauge lines.

“We are moving forward to more efficient narrow gauge lines to be driven by the private sector, it’s on the basis of this, that we are creating a more conducive environment for private sector participation.

“By strengthening our legal and regulatory frameworks and we reassure Nigerians that we are committed in linking all commercial sector with railway which will improve the quality of life and bring about national integration”, the President added.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi assured that the two locomotives and 10 coaches would resolve the high demand of passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.

He stressed that the commissioning is a clear demonstration of a functional transport system which is the administration mandate.

Also, he explained that the train was carrying 1,280 passengers on a round trip daily noting that these new coaches would help improve their services and some coaches will also be deployed to Warri-Itakpe Standard gauge line.

Amaechi further maintained that with this new executive coaches, express train service will be introduced with only one stop at Kubwa station and the problem of racketeering on that route will be resolved.

In a related development, the minister disclosed that the Warri-Itakpe rail line would be completed in Sept. 2018 as work is progressing on the Lagos-Kano rail line.

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Albeit, every successive governments in Nigeria have always contended with one form of socio – economic crisis or the other. In retrospect, Shagari government was faced with a serious economic crisis leading to the introduction of austerity measures. Also, Babangida regime introduced SAP, SFEM and FEM to cushion the effects of the economic hardship which made scanveging paupers of the Nigerians.In all the cases it has always been the masses that were made to bear the brunts of pains and pangs of these unfortunate and sordid developments.It is paradox of monumental proportion when the hapless citizens suffers from hunger, poverty and diseases in the midst of abundant economic and financial resources being gleefully mismanaged by the privileged few on the corridors of power.

This brings us to the present ravaging economic recession in Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has not found it easy since its inception.
Yet,the media team of the government has failed woefully to explain in concrete terms the meaning of this terminology. Rather, it heaped the failure of goverment to provide succour to the suffering masses on the door steps of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan gross mismanagement of the nation’s socio-economic affairs during its ill fated tenure in office. According to the PMB-led government, GEJ and his co-travellers in governance plundered the nation’s vast financial and economic resources in a manner that is unprecedented in the annals of political history. To all intent and purposes, the explanations are still vague and ambiguous to an ordinary hungry and angry Nigerian.

The inability of our governments at various levels to educate and enlighten Nigerians of all cadres regarding the concept, meaning, causes, consequences and solutions has dampened their collective morale.The high expectations of Nigerians on the ability of the PMB-led government to make life more abundant for them gave way to despair. All the information ministries in Nigeria, NOA, NAN, etc, have failed in the all important task of keeping the young and old adequately informed and educated on the concept of economic recession. Our education departments too ought to have introduced it as a topic in our school curriculum. An uninformed mind is a confused mind.

Reasonably, had the government done the needful, the effects of the economic recession could not have been that biting as experienced by the populace.

Yes, the PDP-led government of yesterday looted the treasury. But, the information as to the exact amount of money recovered is still missing.What percentage of the recovered loot shall be ploughed back into the economy and for what specific purpose is still a mystery.Yet the information ministry at the centre has refused to do the needful by keeping the citizens abreast of all these developments. To the best of my knowledge, a government’s information department is not for image laundering only, but, disemination of information in all fronts about the activities of the government. It is only a government without focus and strategy that plays undue politics about information dissemination. After all, people deserves to know how they are governed.

To this end, adoption of damage control measures should be put in place to assuage the feelings of Nigerians in respect of the psychological trauma they have been subjected to. The unprecedented sufferings, hunger, poverty, diseases, death, indebtedness and pains must stop today. Short term measures such as quick wins must be introduced to arrest the ugly trend. It is even better to act now!

Akeem Adebiyi writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.

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