Three distinguished Kwarans were on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 honoured with the prestigious award of Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations(FNIPR) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),Abuja .
The award recipients are the Special Adviser to Kwara State governor on Strategy, Alh Saadu Salahu, a former commisssioner for Information in the state,Oloriewe AbdulRaheem Adedoyin and a Mass Communication teacher at the University of Ilorin, Dr(Mrs) Saudat AbdulBaki.
The news of the honour done the trio was received in Ilorin, the state capital, with excitement by the media, government and the people of the state of harmony.
The investiture of the Kwara ambassadors alongside other eminent Nigerians took place in Abuja during the 2022 Summit of the NIPR.
Salahu, a public relations expert, ace broadcaster and veteran journalist retired as the Head of Public Relations Unit at the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDS), Abuja and he is currently serving as a member of cabinet of Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Adedoyin was a former Editor-in- Chief/ Chief Executive Officer of The Herald Newspapers and former commisssioner for Information and Education in Kwara State. He was also a national deputy publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Dr AbdulBaki is the incumbent chairperson of NIPR in Kwara State. She started her academic career at the Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), Ilorin and later moved to the University of Ilorin where she now teaches Mass Communication.
She had trained many journalists at both CAILS and the university of Ilorin, who are now doing well in various media establishments across the country.
Among friends and well-wishers that accompanied these illustrious sons and daughter of Kwara state to the event was a university don, Dr Muhammad Ghali Alaaya.
In an apparent recognition of the honour done the state by the award recipients, Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was the first to congratulate Salahu, Adedoyin and AbdulBaki.
“The Governing Council of the NIPR, the body that licenses practitioners of public relations in Nigeria, had recently admitted the trio of former Information Commissioner Oloriewe Raheem Adedoyin; Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy Saadu Salau; and incumbent chairman of the NIPR in Kwara State and university lecturer Dr. Saudat Baki Sallah as Felllows of the Institute.
“The award confirms their bonafides as celebrated professional public relations experts in Nigeria, the Governor said in a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.
“I congratulate our compatriots on the conferment of the NIPR Fellowship awards on them. The honour is most deserving for these professionals who have not only distinguished themselves in the art of perception management, but have also become fountains of knowledge and exemplary senior citizens from whom younger generations find inspiration.
“As patriots, I trust them to see the Fellowship as a higher calling to excellence in what they know how to do best and in the service to our fatherland, Nigeria,” AbdulRazaq added.
In a similar vein, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari on Friday, August 26,2022 played host to one of the award recipients, Alh Saadu Salahu at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Salahu who was in Gambari’s office on a courtesy call was accompanied to the State House by Dr Muhammed Ghali Alaaya, a university don and Alh. Funsho Isiak AbdulKareem (mni).
Gambari congratulated Salahu on the award of FNIPR, describing him as an illustrious son of Ilorin Emirate.
In its congratulatory message, the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ), Kwara State chapter, described the awardees as worthy ambassadors of the league and indeed Kwara State.
The league in a statement signed by its chairman, Alh Tunde Akanbi and publicity secretary, Alh Abdullahi Olesin, described the honour done the trio by the NIPR as well deserved.
NALVEJ described the awardees as media guru who have made their marks in the journalism and media practice.
“ We at NALVEJ are not surprised about the NIPR’s choice of Salahu, Adedoyin and Saudat for its highest award because their track records as practising and veteran journalists speak volume. They have remained role models to many practicing and upcoming journalists.
“ We are indeed proud of these noble ambassadors of our league and our parent body, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). They have through their individual impactful endeavours in the field of journalism earned the prestigious FNIPR award and made our dear state proud.
“ We congratulate the awardees, their families and the entire NALVEJ and NUJ families in the state on this auspicious occasion of their investiture as FNIPR in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,” the league added.
The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) also congratulated Salahu on the conferment of the award of FNIPR on him.
In a statement signed by the union’s national secretary, Mallam Abubakar Imam, on behalf of its national president, Alh Aliyu Otta -Uthman,the IEDPU described the conferment as well deserved considering the distinguished contributions of the honouree to the practice of public relations in Nigeria and general human development.
The IEDPU noted that Salahu has proven himself to be an outstanding journalist and a remarkable professional image-maker who has done very well for himself,his profession and the nation at large right from his days at Radio Kwara,Ilorin; and through the federal public service and as an aide to the governor of Kwara State.
The IEDPU also congratulated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on the Fellowship conferred on Alhaji Salaudeen as it wished the new new NIPR Fellow many more years of quality services to the nation and humanity.
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