Raji Adebayo Becomes New Oyo NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman

History was made on Thursday in the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ) as members of the union unanimously voted Comrade Raji Adebayo as the new Chairman of the union.

The nomination came few days after the resignation of Comrade Oluseye Ojo (Sun Newspaper Correspondent) as Chairman following his expression of interest to contest vice chairmanship position in the forthcoming state council election of the union.

Adebayo contested against Oluseye Ojo at the November 2021 election and lost.

Present at the election held at Mokola, Ibadan Office of the state’s Correspondents’ Chapel were members of the state Executive Council of the NUJ, led by the council Chairman, Comrade Demola Babalola.

In his speech , the state NUJ Chairman, Comrade Demola Babalola urged Adebayo to be magnanimous in victory, and charged him to forget the past and chart a new course for the union.

Babalola saluted the sportsmanship spirit of Adebayo, saying that he is now the pride of the leaders of the Correspondents’ Chapel.

”I’m so happy that we are now having arrays of good and qualified journalists, who are now the chairmen of chapels in the state and I will be glad to hand over the mantle of leadership of the union to any of them when it is time,” he said.

He further urged Adebayo to use his connection in the state and beyond to develop the chapel to an enviable height.

”God Almighty has put you there, please sustain the good standard of the chapel, and operate with an open door leadership, spend your money for the development of the chapel.

“Do all within your power to bring in good people that will raise the status of the chapel. I’m so happy for you and I pray that God would grant you sound health and wisdom required to take this honourable chapel to an enviable height,” Babalola said.

In his acceptance speech, Comrade Raji Adebayo promised to use all within his power to move the chapel forward.

He said, “I sincerely thank you all because without your support I cannot be where I am today. I’m using this opportunity to inform you all that I will work on my manifestoes, which I made during the electioneering process on how to move our dear chapel forward.

“Like I promised, I will facilitate the financial upliftment for our chapel, and the welfare of our members will be my priority. Very soon, I will facilitate the training of some members of our chapel and for me to achieve all these among others, I need your support, for there is no leader without followers.”

Comrade Seye Ojo in his remarks, expressed profound gratitude to God for the rare privilege to serve.

He said, “I am grateful to the Almighty God for the opportunity He gave me to be the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of NUJ, Oyo State Council from October 2021 to October 2022.

”The mandate was to last for three years. But I had a higher calling to contest for the vice chairmanship position for the whole of NUJ in the state.

“So, I had to resign to pick up the nomination form. So, my exit gave room for Comrade Raji Adebayo to become the new chairman of the chapel. I congratulate him and I wish him well in the onerous task of moving the Correspondents’ Chapel forward.”

Raji Adebayo was nominated by Comrade Kunle Bakare and he was unanimously accepted by all the members present during the Congress, which included a member of the Board of Trustees of NUJ, Comrade Bayo Akamo, Assistant National Secretary, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Yinka Bode Are, former chairmen of the chapel, Comrade Sola Adeyemo, Comrade Kemi Olaitan, the state Treasurer, Comrade Abass Akeem, and the state Secretary, Sola Oladapo.

Members of the executive of the chapel in attendance were the Vice Chairman, Comrade Jeremiah Oke, who acted as the Chairman ofthe chapel during the Congress, Comrade Dare Adeogundiran, Secretary, and Stella Obi, Treasurer.

Other members of the correspondents chapel in attendance were Mr. Goke Oguntoye, Zonal Director of News in News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Sheu Suliamon of the News Agency of Nigeria, Vice Chairman of Oyo Sports Writers Association of Nigerian, Comrade Gbenga Olugbodi of the Sun Newspaper, Kazeem Awojoodu of Daily Independent Newspapers, and Comrade Joseph Okwuofu, Publisher, Naija Examiner and Correspondent of Champion Newspapers.

-Kunle Bakare.