18th December, 2021
Mr Muskilu Mojeed, the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES Nigeria, has emerged as President of the Nigeria chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI).
Mojeed emerged unopposed as president during a session of the General Assembly of the Institute, which was held physically and virtually, in Abuja on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ahmed Shekarau, General Manager, Business and Strategy of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, was elected Secretary of the body.
Shekarau floored Dr Qasim Akinreti, Deputy Director, Digital Media, at the Voice of Nigeria (VON), to clinch the seat.
A statement issued by Raheem Adedoyin, Executive Board member of IPI also announced the emergence, unopposed, of Rafatu Salami, Assistant Director, Digital Media of VON, as Treasurer.
The statement disclosed that the General Assembly mandated the new officials to work towards filling the vacant positions of deputy president, assistant general secretary, financial secretary and legal adviser, which had no nomination.
It said that the election was conducted by a three-member Electoral Panel chaired by Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman of Daily Trust, with the founder of Radio Now, Kadaria Ahmed, and Adedoyin, as members.
The oath of office was administered immediately after the general assembly by a Lawyer, Zainab Musa.
In his acceptance speech, Mojeed thanked IPI Nigeria for the confidence reposed in them, and assured the outfit of the new officials’ readiness to work hard towards deepening press freedom.
He added that the new team would strive to accelerate free speech in Nigeria, and the world at large.
“We will also work toward deepening collaboration with newsrooms and other organisations in the defence of press freedom in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“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, particularly issues undermining press freedom in one way and another.
“Among issues we will tackle are ethics, regulation, sustainability, credibility and fake news,” he said.
NAN reports that Mojeed and Shekarau took over from Kabiru Yusuf and Adedoyin, who had piloted the affairs of the body for years as chairman and secretary, respectively.
The duo had been elevated to the Board of Trustees of the organisation.
Other members of the Board of Trustees of IPI Nigeria are Ms Ahmed, the Managing Director of ThisDay Newspapers, Eniola Bello, as well as veteran journalist and Newsport Online, Folu Olamiti.
The general assembly of IPI Nigeria, on August 5, ratified proposals for the expansion of its executive council which gave room for the creation of additional offices such as deputy president, assistant secretary and legal adviser.
It also approved the change in nomenclature of the highest leadership position, with the Chairman now President, while the General Secretary is now Secretary.
IPI is a global network of media executives, editors and leading journalists.
Since its establishment in 1950, it has consistently and strongly crusaded for media freedom in every corner of the world.
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. (NAN)