The race for the leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors hots up
By Nehru Odeh
On 28 July in Lagos, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, will elect its new leaders. Already, preparations are top gear, as three seasoned journalists gun for the presidency of the Guild.
The contestants are Jika Attoh, Chief Executive Officer, Cosmo FM, Enugu; Gbenga Adefaye, Editor, Vanguard newspapers; and Tony Akiotu, Deputy Director, News and Current Affairs, African Independent Television, AIT. Not only do the candidates parade intimidating credentials, each has, at a point in his career, worked in the broadcast media.
Attoh has over 30 years experience in broadcasting, twelve of which were spent at the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA. He was also at Channels Television where he anchored The News At 10, as well as the African Independent Television, AIT, anchoring Kakaaki, the breakfast interactive progamme for six years. Asked why he is gunning for the Presidency of the Guild, Attoh said: “I am motivated by the state of affairs at the Guild. I am particularly concerned with restoring independence, credibility and integrity to editors.”Attoh is sorely pained by the way editors are tied to the apron springs of their employers and hopes to give editors a sense of independence by setting up the Nigerian Guild of Editors Trust Fund. The Fund, according to Attoh, will provide a safety net to cushion the hardship editors face when they fall out of grace. “Just one per cent of the editors own the media organisations they work for. The rest are employees. So, we work at the pleasure of our employers. Our jobs can be terminated anytime. When an editor loses his job, then what happens to him?” Attoh asked rhetorically. Attoh also plans to improve managerial capability through the provision of periodic capacity building seminars and workshop for editors. He believes that when editors avail themselves of that opportunity, their capacity and managerial potential are heightened.
Adefaye, who, like Attoh, started his journalism career at the Nigerian Television Authority, Benin, in 1984, has worked as a journalist for 24 years. Ten of these he has spent as editor of the Vanguard newspapers. He is also a two-time winner of the Nigerian Media Merit Award of Editor of the Year. Adefaye was deputy editor of Vanguard for four years, 1994-1998; editor, Lagos Mirror (Vanguard’s evening paper) in 1993 as well as Editorial and Training manager of Vanguard from 1992 to 93, a position he combined with that of chief sub-editor.
A committed journalist and editor, Adefaye was elected into the standing committee of the Guild four years ago and has been Vice President (West) for two years. Adefaye believes he deserves the trust of his colleagues and promises to raise the standard of journalism. Akiotu, another hot contestant, says his mission “is anchored on bequeathing to the Guild, accountability, probity, trust and passion for professional excellence.” Aside achieving other goals in his 12-point agenda tagged Change 08, Akiotu hopes to enhance capacity building, build a befitting secretariat for the Guild, make the NGE more relevant in national policy formulation and work with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, to ensure a healthy practice of journalism.
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