By Babatunde Ayedoju
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Promotion does not come from the east or west, but from God.
Those were the words of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Owena Press Limited, Sir Ademola Adetula, when he played host to the executives of National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ondo State chapter in his office on Wednesday.
Sir Adetula, who stated that there are lessons to learn from every stage one passes through in life, admonished the executives of the union to eschew pride and over-ambitiousness, in order to succeed in office.
The seasoned administrator and former national vice-president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) enjoined NAWOJ to be open to counsel and help from every relevant stakeholder around them. He also encouraged them to prioritise members’ welfare and be financially transparent.
He said, “the struggle we have in our society today revolves around power which can be very tempting. The position you occupy today opens many doors for you, but in everything you do, avoid tampering with the union’s money. It may be difficult but it is possible. If you want to be successful, be financially transparent.”
Sir Adetula equally appealed to the NAWOJ leadership to invest in the regular training and retraining of members, adding that as people who educate the public, journalists themselves must be learned.
He advised that the union should scout for and partner with organisations that can help to improve on the capacity of members, saying, “For media practitioners, the pursuant of education is from cradle to the grave. You can only improve on yourselves by reading.”
The media chief assured the NAWOJ delegation that the management of Owena Press Limited would continue to support unions as partners in progress, stating that unions are good for every organisation.
Earlier in her address, the NAWOJ Chairperson who is an editorial staff of Owena Press Limited, Tola Gbadamosi, thanked the organisation for giving due coverage to the activities of the union.
While saying that she was open to every form of support from the media outfit, she appealed that NAWOJ members in Owena Press Limited should be allowed attend meetings of the union and pay their dues, even as she disclosed that the union has a lot of programmes lined up for members, in addition to the ones that took place recently.
