NUJ, President
The President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Comrade Waheed Odusile, has described the position of the Aare Onakakanfo as the most prominent title in Yorubaland.
Speaking on Monday when he led members of the executive of the Union on a courtesy visit to congratulate the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams, on his new status, Odusile said the leadership of the association considered it imperative to pay the courtesy call to identify with him and rub minds on the current issues in the country.
He applauded the efforts of Aare Adams in promoting unity in Yorubaland.
Expressing concern on the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly on the activities of herdsmen across the country, Odusile, however, expressed confidence in the ability of Aare Adams in promoting the interest of the Yoruba race, urging him to use his new position to seek peaceful co-existence among the various institutions in Yorubaland, particularly among the traditional rulers.
He said: “We congratulate you on your new status as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland.
“Your position, by all standards, is no mean status in Yorubaland.
“The situation in the country is becoming worrisome.
“As Yoruba leader, we urge you to use your office to call Yoruba leaders to come together and find lasting solution to the issue of the herdsmen and other security issues in the country.”
Responding, Aare Adams charged the leadership of the fourth estate of the realm to champion the call for restructuring and true federalism in the country, where every federating unit will develop at their own pace.
He said the role of the press in nation building cannot be over-emphasized, describing journalists as the mirror of the society.
Adams urged the Union to be vibrant and radical in their reportage, adding that the issue of hate speech should be addressed holistically by the media, taking into consideration the role of the media and their past struggles that eventually paved the way for democracy.
He said: “Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the pivotal role the media played during the struggles for democracy in this country.
“Therefore, it is incumbent on the media to continue in their traditional job as watchdog in the society.
“The present economic situation in the country is a strong signal that Nigerians are not happy with the present situation and the Federal Government has a role to play.
“So by virtue of my new status, the top priority of my agenda as the Aare Onakakanfo is to promote the unity of the race.
“For Nigeria to become the country of our dream, journalists have a prominent role to play.
“They are in the best position to moderate the opinions of the people because whatever they publish as news stories carry much weight.”
Members of the Union that visited Aare Adams included the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Union, Alhaji Kazeem Akinreti, Lekan Osiade and Tunde Olalere.
