Lipede, who is the son of a journalist, described the gesture as a token of his appreciation of having become who he is from the income of a journalist-father, Prince Adeyemi Lipede, a former Editor of the Sunday Times.
At the presentation ceremony witnessed by two prominent veterans and former chairmen of the Council at the Iwe Irohin House, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, last week, the council boss used the opportunity to assess the poor remuneration of journalists in the country with the hazards associated with the job. Lipede, who appealed to both government and privately owned media organisations to increase journalists’ pay packages, stressed that it would make journalists’ live more meaningful and fruitful just as his father had in the 60s/70s.
According to him, the hazards journalists encounter during the discharge of their duties were too many and not in conformity with their monthly packages. “Information in the life of any given nation is important. Information is power, therefore, journalists are not only the foundation but also pillars on which the whole structure rests on. I don’t know why journalism has turned to a begging profession when the profession is supposed to be counted among equals,” Prince Lipede stated.
He hinted that the decision to donate the 18- seater-bus to Ogun NUJ became imperative, when the leadership came for his assistance after three times seeking for bus to travel for events.“You see, let me tell you what I have never told anybody before. My late father Adeyemi Lipede was a Sports Editor of Sunday Times, Pilot and the Sketch sewspapers in those days.