Oiwona Launches Two Books

POLITICS

THE MEDIA HAS DONE WELL – Senator (Dr) Mamora

By:  Chukwuma Olu

Speaking as the chairman of the 2^nd Timeline NG, Timeline Awareness Initiative Lecture and awards presentation Senator (Dr) Olorunimbe Mamora who was senate minority leader at the National Assembly, Abuja said that the media has done well with the manners with which the practitioners discharge their duties.  
The Timeline NG theme dwelled on “News Reporting in THE AGE OF NEW MEDIA ON FOCUS on 2019 general elections”.  
Speaking to the audience at the Lagos Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, Senator Mamora said that he was really saddened when he woke up from his sleep and picked up his phone adding that the newspapers headlines that hoodlums and thugs invaded the National Assembly and made away with the mace.  He said that when a dog bites a man, it is not a news, but when a man bites a dog it becomes a news. 
He told the audience that his sojourn as a legislature for 12 years that such ugly event never took place.  He said that he spent four years at the Lagos state House of Assembly, where he was the speaker and that he spent eight years at the national assembly as a senator and former senate minority leader that the mace was never carted away by hoodlums adding that the senate is a hallowed chamber of distinguished men and women. 
He commended the publisher and editor-in-charge of the Timeline NG, Yusuf Adeoye for putting up the lecture at a time the role of press is really sought after.  He said that information is very important to the society and that it is the role of press to disseminate these information the general public for consumption.  He said that the media is known as the fourth estate of the realm as there are three arms of government; The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
He said that the media has done so well to keep the democracy moving since 1999. Senator Mamora said that press is a moulder of opinions as they have to educate, inform and entertain the general public.
Speaking to the guests the publisher and editor–in–chief of Timeline NG Adeoye thanked all and sundry for keeping a date with them.  He particularly gave thanks, praises and adorations to God Almighty who have given him and his team the uncommon grace, to organize the lecture and awards.  Speaking to the guests the key note speaker Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser on political matters to President Muhammadu Buhari, through his elegant daughter Miss Moremi Ojudu delivered the lectures.
The lecture is actually an encyclopedia of narratives of his experiences as a journalist for many decades.  In his lecture, senator Ojudu, asked who is a reporter? And he said that the same question was put to him, when he started as a reporter.  Senator Ojudu says if one has a polytechnic diploma in mass communication, a diploma from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) or a university degree in mass communication, the fellow automatically delivered a ticket punched n the news room.
Senator Ojudu said that it is a different ball game today as anyone with a website and a laptop can be a journalist because they have a blog or they have a social media platform with a news feed.  Senator Ojudu says that there is a reason why there are three branches of government – legislature, executive and judiciary and also there is a reason why a fourth estate was created to check these other three as our fathers and leaders that while the three branches were designed to check themselves as the down trodden masses had no eyes and ears on the corridors of power adding that the media stepped into that voice and have effectively monitored the three branches.
Time and space would fail any reporter to fully report on the lucid lectures, but, however, he said they chose to do what is right as he said that they chose to remain on the said of the down trodden masses.  He said that they told the truth as they held the light of the truth under the chin of the dictators.
Frankly speaking the Special Adviser on political matters to president Buhari said that at the end of the jack booted military juntas gave up and by the grace of God the victories became the lots of a reporter.  Speaking again senator Ojudu said that he is not in any way in active reporting but, that he still has dreams as he dreams of a better country, dreams of better leaders, dreams of excelling and dreams of being the best in the field.  And again, senator Ojudu postulates that as journalists it is our duty to dream big dreams and he told the eclatic audience that the people of Ekiti state deserve a better governance as he tells about his dreams for the future.
He says that he is running for the governorship of Ekiti state and should God deem it fit to bless his dream and the dreams of hundreds of thousands of Ekiti people, he believes that they would have a thriving press in Ekiti as they would be accountable to the people and they should open their books and offices for the press to see uncommonly. 
In closing up his encyclopedia of journalism narratives to the eclatic audience that it is a promise to the people as it is a promise to the press to hold them responsibly. He concurs that they are fully aware that the only way to better the society is through honesty, hardwork and efficiency as the only way the people can hold them accountable is through the media.
He concludes that all and sundry have roles to play in 2019, but, that the roles of the media as usual is greater.  Speaking with journalists one of the awardees Adedeji Michael, CEO Nerata Media Solution said that he was really gladdened to receive the award from Timeline NG and that the award would be the second awards he has received for the past 11 years he began solving the problems of secondary students studying literatures. 
He said that the Ministry of Education of Lagos State Government has approved of his programmes for secondary schools.  He said that his outfit has affected over 4,000 schools across the state.  He said that his outfit brings great educational films to view for the students studying literature in a practical ways and these films are Macbeth, Julius Caesar et’al.  He said that the ugly Saga of hoodlums canting away the mace of the national assembly is a national disgrace to Nigerians even those in diaspora are not left out with the shame the touts had caused. 
Speaking with journalists another awardee Dauda John Gwabin, Chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna state said that he is really gladdened to be awarded by the Timeline NG and he again praised the organisers for their worthy initiatives in putting up the lecture and award ceremony.  In all Timeline NG honoured 25 recipients with various categories of awards.  Miss Ojudu received the award on behalf of her father.