The General Assembly of the International Press Institute (IPI), Nigerian Chapter, has approved a constitution for its smooth operations in the country.
The approval was given at a meeting of the IPI held both virtually and physically, and hosted by Daily Trust Newspapers on Tuesday in Abuja.
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IPI is a global network for senior journalists, publishers, seasoned broadcasters and communication experts with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria and operates under a global constitution with the Nigerian chapter, otherwise referred to as the Nigerian National Committee domesticating the IPI constitution to suit its environment.
“The IPI Nigeria constitution provides for an expansion of its current executive committee from just the chairman (now changed to president) and secretary, to now include the offices of deputy president, assistant secretary, auditor and legal adviser.”
Other resolutions of the meeting chaired by its president, Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, included deployment of robust measures that would enhance membership drive into the Nigerian chapter of the body and approval of the criteria for such membership recruitment.
According to the provisions of the constitution, “membership of the institute is open to persons active in the field of Journalism in reputable traditional and web news media organisations; freelancers and lecturers/researchers in schools of Journalism/Mass Communication/Communication Arts or those working in outlets that defend and support the principles of press freedom and rights with the desire to co-operate to achieve the objectives of the global body of the Institute.”
It, however, pegged acceptance of membership to those who have spent 10 years and above in a recognised media organisation.
“For individual membership, payment of registration fee of N10, 000 and annual due of N20,000 is mandatory. For corporate membership (reputable traditional and web news media organisations and platforms operating in Nigeria) it is N50,000 registration fee and N100,000 annual due,” it states.
It also provides for a seven-member Board of Trustees for IPI Nigeria, with members entitled to not more than two-terms of five years each.
“The General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, March 23rd 2021, to receive the reports of the contact/mobilisation and the property purchase ad-hoc committees which were set up late last year and to start preparations for the composition for a new executive committee that will pilot the affairs of the IPI Nigeria for the next three years.”
The meeting was attended by the IPI Nigeria Secretary and member of the IPI Executive Board, Raheem Adedoyin; veteran journalists Emma Agu and Timothy Oyedeji; the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe; the chairman of Blueprint, Malam Mohammed Idris; the Managing Director of ThisDay, Mr. Eniola Bello; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu; Director, Digital Media at the Voice of Nigeria, Hajia Sani; Assistant Director, Digital Media, VON, Rafat Salami; the immediate past CEO of Media Trust, Malam Mannir Dan-Ali; a former provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, Dr Elizabeth Ikem; the publisher of Politico Magazine, Mallam Shehu Mustapha; the founder of RadioNow, Ms Kadaria Ahmed and the Managing Editor of PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed.
Others were, the publisher of Realnews Magazine, Ms Maureen Chigbo; the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Trust, Malam Naziru Mikailu Abubakar; the Deputy Editor of 21st Century Chronicle, Ms Catherine Agbo; the General Manager/CEO of Trust TV, Malam Ibrahim Shehu Adamu; the immediate past General Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Ms Victoria Ibanga; ThisDay Deputy Editor, Tobi Soniyi; the General Manager, Business & Strategy of Daily Trust, Ahmed Shekarau; the General Manager of The Herald Newspapers, Yomi Adeboye; Head, Department of Mass Communications, Kwara State University, Dr Isiaka Aliagan; Chairman, Editorial Board, DAARS Communications, Kelly Elisha; Deputy Director, Digital Media, Voice of Nigeria, Dr Qasim Akinreti; Director, International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade; Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Newsdiaryonline, Danlami Nmodu; IPI stalwarts Aliu Akoshile, Dr Okunzuwa Osawaru, Hajia Zainab Okino, Kenneth Adewale Kupoluyi and Temi Amusan.
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