Lagos holds Interactive Session with Community Media Practitioners

 By Ayodele Ifasakin 

…harps on the importance of objective information gatekeeping

Lagos holds Interactive Session with Community Media Practitioners

Lagos State Government on Friday, August 28, 2024 has charged community media practitioners to be objective with their roles as information gatekeepers when dissemination news to the publics at the grassroots.

SSA to the Governor on Local Government and Rural Development; Mr Babatunde Durojaiye gave this charge while delivering his keynote address during an interactive session with community media practitioners at the State Secretariat earlier today.

Mr Durojaiye iterated that the interactive session is targeted towards equipping Community Media Practitioners with requisite knowledge on grassroots information dissemination that will foster goodwill for this administration, especially in projecting the policies, programmes and achievements of the Sanwo-Olu led Administration, implemented through the T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Agenda.

He harped on the crucial role community media practitioners play in ensuring that the masses are properly informed on the programmes and policies of the Government and how they can benefit from it. This, he said, is the major gatekeeping role that community media practitioners should perform.

He added that the role of the community media practitioner is crucial in shaping the mindset of the people about their government, hence the need for them to always ensure that the publics are exposed to the numerous projects and policies being executed by the Government both in rural and urban areas, and should also ensure that Government is made aware of the plights and needs of the people.

He stressed that the administration of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has continued to invest into critical infrastructure needed in communities across the State and has also been providing grants and loans targeted majorly to rural dwellers who are into small and medium scale businesses in their communities.

“This is why it behoves on you as community media practitioners, who are information gatekeepers between the Government and the people at the grassroots to ensure policies and programmes of the Government that would benefit the people at the grassroots is properly disseminated to them, while also serving as a feedback medium for the Government”. He said.

Similarly, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development; Mr Kehinde Adebayo, while delivering his welcome address, thanked Mr Governor for approving the Interactive Session since his assumption into office.

He stated that Interactive session such as this affords the Ministry the opportunity to have periodic interface with Community Media Practitioners, thereby creating a platform where these practitioners can be properly informed on the numerous projects the administration of Mr Governor has executed across the State.

Adebayo also stressed on the integral role community media practitioners play in a State like Lagos, adding that the role of an information gatekeeper is a privileged role that must be performed with integrity.

“While performing this role, we must ensure we are transparent about our biases and conflicts of interest, and ensure we do not use it to paint Government in a bad light or create agitations in our Communities. As an unbiased Gatekeeper, we need to be accountable to our communities, as well as the Government by ensuring we amplify the voices of those who need to be heard and douse the voices that can cause anarchy in the society”. He said.

Publisher of the Lead Lagos Community Newspaper in Amuwo-Odofin; Adejumo Abayomi, while speaking on behalf of the participants, applauded the administration of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the continued inclusion of Community Media in information dissemination channels of the State.

He assured that Community Media Practitioners would continue to project the policies, programmes and the achievements of this administration across the 57 Councils of the State.

The interactive session which is the third of its kind since the inception of the administration of Mr Governor was well attended by seasoned facilitators and community media practitioners across the 57 Councils of the State.

Historic As Sanwo-Olu Holds EXCO Meeting Online

Lagos EXCO Makes History with First-Ever Virtual Meeting

Banters here and there, waving of hands and laughter.

“Can you see me?” Am I connected?” “Yeah, I’m here”.

AgegePulse Magazine

Suddenly, at about 11.05am, the Chairman enters and announces his presence by calling the house to order. All is quiet.

It was an exciting moment this morning at the Lagos State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting – the first-ever virtual meeting in the history of governance in the State. Nigeria? Well, not clear.

The Chairman is no other person than Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. The Deputy Chair is Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso said the meeting was held via Zoom, a free HD meeting application with video and screen sharing for up to 100 people.

It was all in compliance with the directive against gatherings as part of the anti-Coronavirus battle-plan.

“The meeting was slated for 10.45am but almost all EXCO members had hooked up to the system by 10.00am, awaiting the arrival of Mr. Governor to kickstart deliberations for the day,” Omotoso said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu came online at about 11.05am. On top of the agenda was the review of the management of COVID-19, especially the provision of additional isolation centres; the fumigation of the State against the spread of the virus, and the package for the less-privileged and daily income earners, the indigent.

“The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal briefed members on the distribution of the relief packages to local governments and local council development areas. Members reviewed areas where teething problems occurred and proffered ideas to solve identified problems,” he added.

There were comments by some members. As the debates and clarifications went on, the Chairman announced that those eager to speak should spend a minute each.

While acknowledging the excitement of members for being part of the first virtual meeting of the Lagos State Executive Council, the Commissioner said the feat affirmed that governance in Lagos will proceed seamlessly despite the 14-day restriction announced by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are on a 14-day lockdown.

“Members were in high spirits. Some of us were in our offices; others attended the online meeting from the comfort of their homes. With this historic achievement, residents are assured that governance in Lagos State will continue, irrespective of the situation around us,” Omotoso asserted.

The idea of the online meeting was mooted by Governor Sanwo-Olu, who directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to facilitate it. The Special Adviser (Innovation and Technology), Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, moderated the meeting, reading out the dos and don’ts of the session which Science and Technology Commissioner, Hakeem Fahm described as “historic”.

“We should let our people know about this,” Waterfront Infrastructure Development Commissioner, Kabiru Ahmed said excitedly after the meeting.

Lagos School Holds Maiden Mid-Term Excursion/ Welfare Package For Teachers

…To Encourage effective teaching and enhance teachers performance in the Teaching/ Learning process - Principal

Its A Laudable Initiative For Teachers - TGPS EDD1, Dr. Yinka Ayandele

In a bid to ensure that teachers make quality use of the usual mid-term break, the Principal of Government Junior College, Agege, Mrs. Alamu Bolanle Olusola has introduced the first of its kind welfare initiative for teachers in the school.

The school,which is under the umbrella of Lagos Education District One, Agege,  a district known for attaining many great feats when it comes to creativity in teaching and learning, added flair to the second mid-term break of the 2018/2019 academic session.

It is a popular knowledge that most school teachers always spend their mid-term break at home, and mainly occupied with abandoned house hold chores.She also said when you are doing a particular job in the  same way for some time, it will be one a routine and one might lose interest.

However, to change the mundane and to unleash their passion, Mrs Alamu organized a motivational excursion cum get-together for the relaxation of teachers under her watch and also for further exposure stating that their is no nation that can develop beyond the level of its teachers.This time, the teachers spent a part of the second term mid-term break outside the normal routine by going out on an excursion, visiting some heritage endowment sites across Lagos amidst lots of merriment. They visited the amazing Nduibusi Park in Lagos where the teachers were treated to delightful pleasure,they concluded the event at the Ikeja City Mall, ShopSite.

According to Mrs Alamu, the maiden excursion cum special welfare package for teachers in the school is to creatively change the mundane relaxation style of the teachers who spend their mid-term breaks mostly indoors. As we are in the era of creativity and innovative reforms in education, I thought of the best way to sustain the momentum that our teachers have been working on since the beginning of the term. Therefore, I came up with this Mid-term Excursion/Special Welfare Initiative.’

“The idea is to make our teachers come together during the short break to have fun that is tailored towards energizing them for the concluding part of the term. We believe this will bring out the best from our teachers and reflect in the outstanding  performance of students at the end of the term and ultimately at the end of the session.

“By the grace of God, this initiative will be an annual event as we desire to motivate and expose our teachers to many interesting educational stuffs that would consequently improve teaching and learning outcomes in class.” She concluded.

Mrs Alamu recognized efforts of the award winning and quintessential Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of EDD1 Dr. Yinka Ayandele, who has always encouraged school managers to be more creative in order to make teaching and learning interesting.

We appreciate our award winning mother for making this initiative a success and for finding time out of her busy schedule to celebrate and identify  with us. She is a mother, a mentor, a problem solver and an administrator per excellence, she eulogized.

Also, Mrs Alamu extended gratitude to the Executive Governor of Lagos state Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule for creating enabling environment for both teachers and students and for various  immense contributions towards improving the standard of teaching and learning in schools. Noting that construction of a beautiful twenty plus one block of classrooms and provision of treated water worth celebrating, adding that Governor Ambode's 23rd of every month never fails.

Equally, we appreciate the major sponsors of the maiden event, Bakery Solutions - Producers of BreadMeal Bread and two other anonymous donors who identified with us and trusted us with their resources to give the best welfare package to the teachers. We all say thank you.

In her goodwill remark,the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of EDD1 Dr. Yinka Ayandele lauded the initiative as an excellent idea. She commended Mrs Alamu and her team for taking teachers Motivation sacrosanct beyond the four walls of the school adding that this kind of creative initiative should be emulated.

In separate remarks, the Vice Principal of the school, Mr.D.D.S Ajose, Head of Mathematics Department, Mr Raphael Fawole and Mr. Oludare Akinode asserted that it used to be students going on excursion but with the maiden teachers motivational tour, it will further exhume the passion within the teachers, regenerate social lives among teachers and spur them to deliver effective teaching in the classroom.