Don advises campus journalists

A senior lecturer at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) in Ondo State, Mr Sunday Afolayan, has advised campus journalists to ensure the development of their writing skills and to be very inquisitive in sourcing for news.
He said this while delivering a lecture as a guest speaker during the inauguration of a new set of executives of The Press Council (an offshoot of Nigerian Union of Campus Journalists), RUGIPO chapter,.
The event held at the 800-seater lecture theatre of the Institution last Friday.
Speaking on the theme: “Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is your right”, Afolayan stressed the need for journalists to mirror themselves as the conveyor and transmitter of information who see their job as a herculean task and work assiduously to dig out information that are classified.
He further explained that society cannot live without information. Therefore, campus journalists should resist all forms of oppression, bribery, information mismanagement and ultimately, write for the benefit the polytechnic community and beyond.
In his speech, the out-going chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Press Council, Eniola Olurankinse Samuels, thanked the Acting Rector of the institution and other members of the management team for their support during their one-year tenure. Giving an account of his stewardship, Eniola said he led the council to begin a weekly newspaper.
“The Council has been able to eradicate the culture of pasting press release around the wall of the institution which was replaced with weekly newspaper. Though, funding has been our major challenge but we were able to scale through with the help of the management team.
“Our weekly publications which carry various news stories and several articles that astonish the polytechnic community, importantly, our editorials have been the selling point as well as setting agenda for the Students’ Union Government,” said Eniola, a National Diploma (ND) student of Mass Communication.
The event also featured a dinner/award presentation for outstanding reporters as well as presentation of certificates to the outgoing members of the Council.
Franklin Akintomide replaces Eniola as chairman. Others are: Fidelis David (Editor); Ayobami Ore, Deputy Editor; Angela Samson, General Secretary; Vincent Olagodo, Production Manager; Gbemisola Abeni Advert Manager; among others.
In his acceptance speech, Akintomide promised to keep the flag of the council and the NUCJ flying, and sustain the weekly publication.