Olateju named legal adviser as ASKOMP holds one-day capacity building training in Ilorin
In a bid to enhance professionalism in journalism, a one-day capacity-building training has been organised by the Association of Kwara Online Media Practitioners (ASKOMP) for its members in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The Informant247 gathered that the training, which witnessed two sessions led by Dr Abdulrasheed Saadudeen and Taofiq Olateju Esq., was declared open by the association’s Secretary, Prince Oyewale Oyelola, where he assured participants of the association’s commitment to supporting the development of every member to be up-to-date in line of their work, especially in the ever-growing digital media space.
Dr Saadudeen, a former Head of the Department of Mass Communication at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, emphasized the importance of journalists in generating informative and educative content for society and highlighted their crucial role as agenda-setters and opinion moulders.
He says, “Journalists play a crucial role in informing their people about happenings in their respective environment or society. They can also serve as agenda-setters and opinion moulders. Therefore, to do this job effectively, you are expected to have a strong command of the English language as a medium of expression and cultivate the habit of building relationships and networking with sources when gathering information for your reports.”
Also speaking, Olateju Esq., who discussed the Strategic Law Against Public Participation (SLAPP), said if someone feels aggrieved by slander or libellous publication, they should seek legal recourse by approaching the appropriate court, such as a civil court or high court, with jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter instead of petitioning the police or security agencies to silence the person.
He said, “The 1999 Constitution, as amended, guarantees freedom of expression in Section 39(1). Therefore, no other law should criminalise this freedom. Any law inconsistent with this provision would be null and void. There is no need for additional laws to criminalise freedom of expression. Defamation, injurious falsehood, and criminal defamation are clearly defined in our constitution. Journalists doing their work legitimately should be protected. If someone feels aggrieved by slander or libellous publication, they can approach a civil or high court instead of petitioning the police to silence or intimidate the journalists.”
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police PRO, Princess Adetoun Ejire, thanked ASKOMP members for their impactful role in keeping Kwara people informed without bias.
She said, “I must commend every member of this association for your service to Kwara State in ensuring fair reportage of news. Your efforts are well appreciated, and we must continue to be partners to keep enjoying a peaceful state. The leadership of this association has done well putting together this kind of training. The place of learning and relearning cannot be overemphasised.”
However, the Chairman of ASKOMP, Salihu Shola Taofeek, in his keynote address, thanked every stakeholder in Kwara for making the works of online journalists easier through strategic partnership and support.
He said, “This training underscores our desire to continue to improve and sharpen our skills as demanded by the kind of job we do – online media business. We know it is important that we improve our skills to match the standard requirements of the ever-growing new media. We appreciate the support of every stakeholder in Kwara State, and we believe that the symbiotic relationship between us will continue.”
Furthermore, the Chairman used the medium to announce Taofiq Olateju Esq as the official legal adviser of the association.
In his closing remark, the vice chairman of ASKOMP, Ogbeni Aiyelabegan Babatunde AbdulRasaq, expressed joy in the turnout of members and urged them to take to heart all the lessons learnt from the lectures.
