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After 15 years, Sanwo-Olu Creates Excitement With Visit Of Government House Press Corps

Published

5 years ago

August 2, 2019

Editor

There was excitement in the air as Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu paid a visit to the Government House Press Corps.

Sanwo-Olu who will be the first Governor in 15 years ( after Asiwaju Bola Tinubu) to formally visit and interact with the journalists urged them to be professional in the discharge of their duty, while calling for a “fair reportage” of his administration’s activities.

Sanwo-Olu who led senior government officials, including his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji, the courtesy visit at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre was well received

The Press Centre is the operation base of all reporters, under the aegis of Lagos Governor’s Office Correspondents (LAGOCO), who are covering activities of the Lagos government.

Also part of the Governor’s entourage included the Chief of Staff, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, his deputy, Mr. Gboyega Soyannwo, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Mr. Fola Adeyemi.

The Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said Sanwo-Olu’s visit was a move by the Governor to familiarise himself with the people that are having day-to-day interface with the activities of his government

Describing the Press Centre as a “newsroom” for the State House correspondents, Akosile informed the Governor that the media materials daily sent out from the facility reached over 3,000 media platforms and outlets across the country. This, he said, makes the Press Centre as the “most vibrant” in media capability, expertise and reach.

Since his appointment by the Governor, Akosile said he had improved the capability of the Press Centre by setting up in-house digital team and Online Television, christened Lagospress TV on YouTube, which will be operated by the civil servants working in facility.

Welcoming the Governor to the Press Centre, LAGOCO President, Mr. George Okojie, who writes for Leadership newspaper, disclosed that Sanwo-Olu became the first Governor, after ex-Gov. Bola Tinubu, to visit the facility in the last 15 years.

Okojie used the occasion to intimate the Governor of the logistic challenges limiting the performance of the State House correspondents.

Sanwo-Olu thanked members of the Press Crew for their support since his administration took off, expressing satisfaction in the reportage of his activities.

He said: “On behalf of my deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, I thank you all for the support you have given us, the one you are giving us and the ones you are about to give us. It is important we familiarise ourselves with you, because your role is very important to us.

“I thank you all for your support and I also appeal for more support in the coming days. I would say that we have felt your impact in the last 61 days we have been in government. Communication is not only critical to the success of any government, any government’s effort without the media is a journey to nowhere.”

Sanwo-Olu said activities of his government would focus on improving the lives of the people, adding that people would appreciate the effort of his government better if the journalists covering his activities told the story in a manner the people would understand.

He urged members of the Press Crew to always uphold professionalism, pledging his readiness to partner with them for progress.

He said: “Governance is not about us as leaders, but about the people who elected us to lead. We want the people to be aware of the government’s efforts to make our society better. In achieving this, the media has key role to play. I, therefore, urge you to discharge your duties professionally. You are important to us and we are partners in progress. We appeal to you to give fair reportage of our activities as demanded by the ethics of your profession.”

He promised to assist members of the press crew in overcoming their challenges, while also disclosing his readiness to support the State House correspondents in the area of capacity building and professional improvement.

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”