PROTOCOL:
Thank you for making time to join us this morning at the ground-breaking ceremony of our Union’s secretariat. We are honoured and humbled by your presence.
The land we are standing here today was graciously allocated by the Military Administrator, Group Captain Mohammed Lawal thinking it wise that a union like the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council deserves a bigger space to operate amd members to practice. But till date, the land remains unoccupied and crying for development after thirty-six years.
The groundbreaking today marks a new phase for me as a leader and for all of us, as a Union, as it is a confirmation of our commitment to change the narrative and bring back the lost glory of our Council which is worldwidely acknowledged as the Cradle of Journalism. The new building, however, will allow us to put our united members of the Union, affiliate associations and most especially our veterans under one roof for closer relationship and smooth operation.
This groundbreaking – a much awaited event, would not have been possible without having a committed, resilient and ambitious team of Executive Council, who have continually spared no strength nor effort at ensuring we leave as legacy a conducive working environment as seen here today. No doubt, a complex project of our dream promises by His Excellency,Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, Governor of Ogun State to compliment the Elders Relaxation Centre where are laying its foundation today, will no doubt take a multi-pronged approach that would make our dear union and her members take another giant step forward, not only in our profession but in our quest for more development.
The land we are standing on here today is planned to accommodate the Union’s 750-seater Modern Event Center, Modern office of Executive Council members, Elders Relaxation Centre, Library, Charlets with kitchennet and a entertainment center. But for the one we are laying its foundation today, we have collectively assembled a good team to achieve earlier completion of the edifice within maximum of seven months. L
I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to congratulate my Executive members, leaders and members of our Union for this achievement and thank them for their continued dedication to make Ogun NUJ more resilient.
On this happy occasion, I must say that almost 10 months on, our desire to make a positive impact on the Union and our members remains firmly ingrained in our operations. Consequently, we shall ensure that necessary checks are done, taking into cognisance environmental impacts assessments, including mitigation measures to eliminate impact on neighbouring properties while approvals shall be secured for all our properties.
We have been very fortunate for kind of friends and partners we have got – those who believed in us and gave us a leg up, starting from His Excellency, the Governor of Ogun State and other well wishers and their contribution to the continued success of our Union. Without your support, Ogun NUJ would never have gotten here. It’s a miracle that we are blessed with such great friends and partners like yourselves. We cannot thank you enough.
I have one more thing to ask from you. Let’s continue to work together, hand in hand, as partners to really create more prosperity for ourselves and to truly prepare and nurture ourselves for higher heights. We believe we can continue to make history together. So let’s kick this day off and mark this as a day to remember. Today, together with you, we will continue to drive Ogun NUJ forward.
Thank you and my very best wishes.
