Uphold, Defend Tenets Of Journalism, Ex NUJ President, Lanre Ogundipe, Writes Newly Elected Oyo State Chapel Chair, Akeem Abass
CONGRATULATORY LETTER TO COMRADE BABATUNDE AKEEM ABASS ON HIS VICTORY AS CHAIRMAN, NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS (NUJ), OYO STATE COUNCIL
Dear Comrade Babatunde Akeem Abass,
I extend my warmest congratulations to you on your well-deserved victory at the polls as Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council. Your emergence is a testament to the trust, respect, and deep confidence reposed in you by members, veterans, and key stakeholders across the media community. Your character, integrity, and steadfast commitment to the profession have long distinguished you, and your triumph signifies renewed hope for a more vibrant and principled union.
As the former Chairman of the Council and President of our great Union, you have demonstrated the qualities that define exemplary leadership—qualities that made the late Sehinde Dagunduro and Lanre Ogundipe proud ambassadors of the Correspondents’ Chapel. Both men consistently gave glowing accounts of the calibre of professionals the Chapel has produced, standing as symbols of excellence and guardians of journalistic honour in their time. You, Comrade Abass, are a continuation of that legacy. You must strive to surpass their records, uphold their values, and remain a worthy ambassador of the Chapel and of Oyo State in the wider national space.
I also congratulate the other members of the newly elected Executive. Their election underscores the collective desire for a forward-looking leadership—one that embodies professionalism, innovation, unity, and moral courage. May your shared vision and complementary strengths form the foundation on which a stronger, more respected NUJ Oyo State Council is built.
As you assume office, the task before you is both substantial and noble. The union stands at a pivotal moment in its history, and your leadership carries the responsibility of redefining standards, reviving values, and repositioning the profession for relevance in an era that demands accountability and excellence. You must uphold and defend the tenets of journalism—truth, fairness, balance, responsibility—and ensure that the confidence placed in you by practitioners and elders of the craft is fully justified.
A new era calls for a new attitude. Oyo NUJ must rise above the “cap-in-hand” culture that has, in recent years, diminished the dignity of the profession. Under your guidance, the union can reestablish itself as a bastion of ethical conduct, a defender of press freedom, and an incubator of developmental journalism—one that contributes meaningfully to public enlightenment, democratic governance, and societal progress.
To other contestants and aspirants, this is a time for unity, not division. Elections may produce winners and runners-up, but the union belongs to all. I appeal to every participant to join hands with the new Executive in building and shaping the NUJ for the greater challenges ahead. Your ideas, experience, and passion remain invaluable. The union needs every committed mind to strengthen its pursuit of high moral standards, institutional integrity, and professional excellence.
Comrade Abass, your tenure has the potential to usher in a new lease of life for the NUJ in Oyo State—one defined by transparency, dignity, purposeful engagement, and a renewed sense of pride in the noble profession of journalism. May wisdom, courage, and fairness guide every step you take in this leadership journey.
Once again, congratulations to you and the entire Executive. May your administration be remembered as a transformative chapter that elevated the union to heights worthy of its legacy.
Yours sincerely,
e-signed
Lanre Ogundipe FNUJ, SNJ
Former President Nigeria and African Union of Journalists
December 10, 2025.
