NAWOJ meets with Eric Osunde, LG Council Chairman

Executive Chairman of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government, Dr Eric Osayande, on Wednesday, met with the Executive of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Edo State Chapter.

The meeting held at the Chairman’s office, Council Secretariat, Idogbo, Benin City, which was aimed to build stronger ties between the Council and NAWOJ and by extension, commend the Osayande-led administration for its intervention in various community initiatives across the local government.

Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan, Chairperson of NAWOJ spoke glowingly of the Council Chairman’s works, appreciating him for running a women friendly administration; she noted that “NAWOJ is very pleased with the kind of arrangement evident in the Osayande-led administration, particularly the gender friendly system the Chairman has put in place.”

Commending Osayande’s developmental initiatives, Ehimuan touched on the Monday market clean-up, the Osayande market money support for which PZ and Okha market women have benefitted, the tour of projects by the Operation Project Unveiling, OPU, of the Edo State House of Assembly, which flagged-off in Ikpoba-Okha a few weeks ago, others.

“We want to commend you for your developmental strides in the Council just in this short while and we believe you will do even much more throughout your stay in office.

“Operation Project Unveiling (OPU), by the Edo State House of Assembly Committee commenced at Ikpoba-Okha, this is very commendable as lots of laudable projects were unveiled and more are yet to still be unveiled,” she said.

Commending the Osayande Market Money Support, OMMS, Ehimuan added, “OMMS, were over one hundred market women benefited at PZ and Okha markets in Wards six and nine of this local government is also a laudable one as most of the women went emotional because they were shocked, dumbfounded and happy that such boost came to them even in this period of economic hardship and rising costs of goods.”

Other areas the Association’s Chairperson spoke on were the just concluded remedial work on Goretti junction, inauguration of the Committee on Environment, the Osayande-led administration’s commitment to clean, safe and healthy environment in the locality.

Communal issues being resolved by the Osayande-led administration also got applauds by the Association.

In his response, the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Chairman, hailed NAWOJ for the role they play in nation-building, noting that the society is eternally grateful for deploying the strength of their pens to build communities.

“I am very impressed with your visit today, my administration’s successes 2018 to date cannot be complete without acknowledging your contributions; your support and solidarity continue to pave way for more success; I will continue to support productive initiatives presented by you.

“Journalists play critical in the development of our communities; I urge you to remain focused, consistent and loyal to constituted authority; be fair, balanced and objective in your reportage, so as to be able to achieve set goals”, Osayande said.

Comrade Ehimuan said “the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists is a non-profit, professional organization and gender focused Association founded in 1989, a time when female participation in journalism practice was traditionally limited.”

“That the Association plays critical role in ensuring that Nigeria’s media has a strong and active female contingent.”

The Association pledged to continue to support developmental initiatives in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, at the meeting with the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Chairman, Dr. Eric Osayande, on Wednesday in Idogbo.