Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, has urged journalists to explore meaningful fall-back ventures to ensure financial stability during and after their service. Speaking at the Veterans Day ceremony organized by the Oyo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyelade emphasized the importance of self-reliance and relevance in the profession.
He encouraged veteran journalists to leverage their experience to write commercially viable books, citing his own success in publishing books that have enabled him to remain financially and politically relevant after about five decades as a journalist.
Prince Oyelade suggested the publication of a collective, well researched book on the unique personal experiences of members of the oyo state NUJ League of veterans and donated one million naira for the kick off of the project.
“You have a story to tell. Don’t go to your graves without rewarding the world with your narration in the course of your sojourn in our beautiful profession”
According to the Commissioner, he expects the money, which is part of proceeds from his earlier books, to be fully deployed to the Veteran book project which should be launched with fanfare during next year’s Veteran Day Anniversary and the proceeds used to take care of veterans who contribute to the content of the book.
Earlier in his brief remarks at the occasion, Chairman of the state League of Veteran Journalist, Mr Banji Ogundele, commended the commissioner for his advice and support to veterans in the state.
He further advised serving journalists to have alternative ventures and put quality educational training of their children as priority.
The outgoing state chairman of NUJ, Chief Ademola Babalola, in his short remarks, thanked the commissioner and the state government for their continued support for the NUJ in the past six years, urging that such should be extended to the incoming executives of the union.
Eminent journalists, including past chairpersons of the state National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and past secretaries of the state NUJ were also honoured at the occasion for their contributions to the union.
Among those specially recognised were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Rotimi Babalola, a former NUJ Secretary, and Mrs. Adekitan Adeagbo, former NAWOJ Chairperson and a Director in the ministry.
