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Nigeria: Obaigbena Inaugurates THISDAY Editorial Board

The Chairman THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Nduka Obaigbena, on Monday in Abuja inaugurated the reconstituted editorial board of THISDAY newspaper. In attendance were THISDAY Managing Director, Mr Eniola Bello, editorial board chairman, Olusegun Adeniyi, and other members.

While thanking the members for accepting to serve on the editorial board, Obaigbena reminded them that THISDAY is founded on three cardinal principles: Democracy, free enterprise, and social justice. “Those three kernels inform the decisions we take on critical issues with the overriding objective being the promotion of the greater good for our country,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Bello assured the members that the management of THISDAY operates the time-tested journalistic tradition of separating the Editorial Board from the Newsroom like Church and State. He said they have the freedom to discuss and write on any issue, without interference, but within the newspaper’s operating principles.

New members of the board who attended Monday’s session include former Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Major General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi (rtd), and TETFund chairman, Alhaji Kashim-Ibrahim-Imam.

At the event were Dr Chidi Amuta, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, Mr Waziri Adio, Ms Aisha Shuaibu, Ms Yemi Adamolekun and Mr Mahmud Jega. Others were Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, Mr Peter Ishaka, Mr Gimba Kakanda, Mr Bolaji Adebiyi, Mr Francis Ndubuisi, Mr Benneth Oghifo and Mr Sonny Aragba-Akpore.

In his welcome remark, Adeniyi introduced the new members, including Olawumi who held several strategic appointments at the service, defence and public levels as a military officer. He was once the Coordinator, Nigerian Army Aviation and later, Commander, Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Following his stint at the NYSC, Olawumi served as Director, Policy Planning and Research at the Defence Space Administration and later, Director of Policy at the Defence Headquarters. Olawumi obtained a first degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the University of Ilorin and a Masters in Defence Studies from the Kings College, London. He is an alumnus of the National Defence College, Abuja, and a proud winner of the presidential award for best graduating participant. Olawumi also holds a certificate in National and International Security from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Adeniyi also introduced the CEO of Alpha African Advisory, Mrs Sanyade Okoli, another new member who has over 27 years of financial advisory; private equity; corporate, commercial and management finance; and auditing experience. She holds an MA in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University, UK and trained as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen (UK). She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales and a Fellow of both the Africa Leadership Initiative-West Africa and the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Sanyade is also a regular analyst on Arise News’ Global Business report show. Furthermore, she is the founder of inspirational blog, www.justasiam.ng and creator of life-transforming e-course, Pursuing Wholeness.