INAUGURAL SPEECH OF MUKHTAR AJELOGBON AT HIS INVESTITURE AS THE 4TH CHAIRMAN OF THE OSUN ONLINE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION (OOPA), HELD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024 IN SOGBO

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to be in your midst and humbled to address you today at my inauration as the 4th Chairman of the Osun Online Publishers Association.

Fellows and distinguished coleagues, our great association have always looked forward to moments like this that signal historic renewal, every two years. When the eminent members unanimously elected me as Chairman, on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024. I was awed and humbled by the privilege and honour, sheer trust and confidence and respectfully accepted to serve the professional association faithfully and diligently.

In thanking the Almighty God for making this day possible, I most sincerely thank all our members for making today a reality.
 
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press, it is exciting to note that OOPA has made great strides since its establishment. I commend our visionary stakeholders and members, worked tirelessly and deployed their resources to achieve the noble objectives for which the association was set up. Our past leaders, Mr


Let me also commend the distinguished Past Chairmen of the Association, who were privileged to lead its affairs, starting with our pioneer chairman,  Ayobami Agboola of City Mirror News, Soji Omoseebi of SOJ Worldwide News and the immidate past Chairman, Jare Tiamiyu of Insight Media have contributed their qoaters positively upt to the level of gotten the association registered and recognized by the federal government of Nigeria. These pantheons of progress discharged their responsibilities with dignity, honour, wisdom and integrity. I appreciate all of you not only for the great work you have done, but also your sustained passion in continuing professionalism in the field. I will continue to raise the bar of the association towards your legacies.


As the Chairman of our great association, I am adopting a "TEAM WORK AGENDA"  to discharge the duties of my office and undertake to respect the decision and advice of my fellow Members as well as the executive members. I will join hands with all well-meaning stakeholders to create and bequeath an association that is better than the one we have today. I want to assure you that I am fully committed and willing to deploy my time and resources towards the attainment of our vision to establish and sustain a formidable fourth estate of the realm, managed professionally and responsibly; one that is flexible and adaptable to the needs of its members and recognized and respected locally and internationally. I humbly, therefore, request for your support and guidance, which would be crucial in bringing about the positive change that we all desire. 

In 2023, the association  unfolded Digital media week, which I happened to be the committee Chairman, with the themed, “Digital Media Week & Climate Change: The Nexus", let me state that the association is going to implement the outcome of the digital week plans. I assure you that we will continue to build on the gains and successes recorded so far. 

We shall also strengthen collaboration with corporate bodies for cordial relationship. We will work to grow, develop and expand our membership networks. We will focus in ensuring that the impact of the association is greatly felt on members, and the society.

Osun Digital media house Project

The Digital media house is one of our Sustainability pillars. Getting the Digital House Project to quickly and appropriately 'take-off' is one of our greatest objectives. We will work round the clock to put the appropriate structures in place to ensure that the project succeeds and sustained.

Digital Transformation Corperative

This project is to cater for the needs of the members for funds. (I shall work with my excos to come up with workable plans.

Dear colleagus, apart from these highlighted areas, this administration shall, in general, encourage and educate our members to entrench professionalism and ensure the actualisation of our core values of Integrity, Meritocracy, Professionalism, Accountability & Probity, Customer Centricity and Teamwork.

We shall also leverage on our existing strategic partnerships and alliances with professional organisations, NUJ, government, and also deepen networking and information flow opportunities and many more to the members.

I would like to say that all these initiatives and programmes are only achievable with the active support of the Association, EXCO and Members.
 
As I conclude, I wish to thank all of you once again and particularly express my deep appreciation to: the Chairman of the electoral body, Ayobami Agbola, and his team who performed the very important task of oath administration, and all other important dignitaries.

Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their encouragement and support. I thank particularly my wife, Hajia Ayobami Ajelogbon for her great support on this journey. There is no doubt that I would be needing more of the support in the coming months/years from you all and pray that God will bless our efforts and grant us the grace needed to succeed.

The subsidy removal hardship is still very much with us. Please, stay safe and take your heart as priority.

I thank you all and wish you smooth and safe return to your various homes and destinations.