Lagos Speaker urges journalists to embrace unity and work with Assembly for peace

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has called on journalists covering the state Assembly to be united so that they could achieve much in the New Year.

Obasa spoke through the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Publicity, Strategy and Security, Hon. Tunde Braimoh at the annual Get Together/New Year Programmes of the journalists covering the House.

The event held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Centre, Behind MKO Garden, Alausa, Ikeja.

The Speaker told the journalists, who operate under the auspices of the Lagos State House of Assembly Correspondents Association (LAHACA) that it was a good thing to work together as an indivisible entity.

While thanking the Organising Committee for how the event was put together, Braimoh added that it was not easy to serve and that when one does it is a thankless job.

“Togetherness in a forum like this is mandatory by God.  God loves togetherness, but we are selfish in nature and seclude ourselves.

“But we need each other. God wants us to be together. I can imagine the odds that come with this kind of events.

“It is not easy to put such an event together. May God grant you more wisdom, understanding and knowledge to be of service to Nigeria,” he said.

The lawmaker praised the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who he described as an experienced legislator, who has brought his experience to bear on the activities of the Assembly.

He added that the Speaker asked him to overlook the excesses of the journalists and look forward to a better period with them as the correspondents of the Assembly.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. Kazeem Akinreti stated that he had done a lot on media investment during his tenure.

He advised journalists to look at the profession and make the best use of it.

“It is the best profession in the world. We should enhance the credibility of the profession. We are seeking a reelection this year. We are moving to our new office this year as this is the best legacy.

“We will want the Hon. Tunde Braimoh to help us with the media enhancement bill as Lagos State is where we have more journalists.

“In some countries such as Singapore and others, there are funds, where media houses get money to pay salaries if they don’t have enough money to pay staff.

“We have the impunity of not paying our workers in Nigeria. It is not acceptable in other countries. I have five months to work and spend the remaining three months for election.

“But I will ensure that the Media Enhancement Bill sees the light of the day so that we can change the face of the media in Lagos State,” he said.

Chairman of LAHACA, Mr. Akinboye Akintola thanked God for preserving the lives of members of the association since last year and for making it possible for them to witness another year.

There were also talks on “A Journalist As An Entrepreneur, delivered by Mr. Lekan Otunfodunrin, Executive Director, Media Career Development Network, Nigeria’s foremost media career mentoring and coaching organisation and a former Sunday Editor of The Nation Newspaper, and a Health Talk by Dr. Juliet Ottoh, a clinical psychologist with the Department of Psychiatry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).