The International Press Institute (IPI), Nigerian Chapter has elected the Editor-in-Chief/Chief Operating Officer of Premium Times, Muskilu Mojeed as its President in the country
Penpushing reports that, Mojeed emerged as President unopposed during a session of the General Assembly of the Institute, which was held physically and virtually on Thursday in Abuja , the Federal Capital Territory(FCT)
The meeting also produced the General Manager, Business and Strategy of Media Trust Limited, Publishers of Daily Trust, Ahmed I. Shekarau, as the elected Secretary of the Institute.
Penpushing further reports that Shekarau won the majority of the votes cast at the election, defeating his only contender, Dr Qasim Akinreti, who is the Deputy Director, Digital Media, at the Voice of Nigeria (VON).
The statement issued by the Executive Board member of the global body of the Institute, Raheem Adedoyin, also announced the emergence, unopposed, of Rafatu Salami, Assistant Director, Digital Media of Voice of Nigeria (VON), as Treasurer.
Penpushing also reports that the election was conducted by a three-member Electoral Panel, which had the Chairman of Daily Trust, Kabiru Yusuf; the founder of Radio Now, Kadaria Ahmed and Mr Adedoyin as members.
The oath of office for the newly constituted executive members was administered immediately after the General Assembly by a Lawyer/Notary Public, Barrister Zainab Musa.
Penpushing reports that, the swearing-in of the executives was witnessed by the Executive Board member of the Executive , Mr Adedoyin, and members of the Nigerian chapter of the Institute, among whom were a Director in Media Trust Limited, Mannir Dan-Ali; Chairman of the Editorial Board of Blueprint, Zainab Suleiman Okino; Deputy Editor, 21st Century Chronicle, Catherine Agbo, and Dr. Akinreti.
The Global Board member in a statement disclosed that the General Assembly mandated the newly constituted executive to work towards filling the vacant positions of Deputy president, Assistant General Secretary, Financial Secretary and Legal Adviser, which were not filled because there were no nominations into them.
Penpushing further reports that, in his acceptance speech after his emergence as President, Mojeed, who expressed the appreciation of his team to all members of International Press Institute(IPI) Nigeria for the confidence reposed in them, assured that the new executive would work harder towards deepening press freedom and accelerating free speech in Nigeria, and the world at large.
“We will also work at deepening collaboration with newsrooms and other organisations in the defence of press freedom in Nigeria and elsewhere’, Mojeed emphasised.
‘We will implement measures and programmes that will make ours a stronger voice as we firmly stand up for media freedom, freedom of speech and the free flow of news and information whenever, wherever and however they are threatened.”
“Our team will also take a holistic look at the key issues confronting our newsrooms today and undermining press freedom one way and another. The issues include those concerning ethics, regulation, sustainability, credibility, and fake news”, he added
Penpushing also reports that Messrs. Mojeed and Shekarau took over from Mallam Kabiru Yusuf and Mr Adedoyin, who had piloted the affairs of the body for years as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, and have since been elevated to the Board of Trustees of the organisation.
The other members of the Board of Trustees of International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria are Ms Ahmed; the Managing Director of ThisDay Newspapers, Eniola Bello, veteran journalist and Publisher of Newsport Online, Folu Olamiti, and former Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika.
Penpushing reports that, the General Assembly of International Press Institute(IPI) Nigeria had at a session held on August 5 this year ratified proposals made for the expansion of its current executive council , which gave room for the creation of additional offices in the executive such as Deputy President, Assistant Secretary, and Legal Adviser.
The congress also approved the change in nomenclature of the highest leadership position in its Executives, from being addressed as Chairman to President, while also adopting a proposal to adopt the name Secretary in place of General Secretary for its scribe.
The International Press Institute (IPI) is a global network of media executives, editors and leading journalists, and since its establishment in 1950, it has consistently and strongly crusaded for media freedom in every corner of the world, while the Nigerian chapter of the Institute has also done the same to some degree, deploying the platform to resist brutal assaults on press freedom in Nigeria.
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