By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The National President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Ladi Bala has called on female journalists across the thirty six states including the FCT to re-elect her into office to ensure a renewal mandate of her transformation plan for all female journalists inclusive and other women, children and Persons with Disabilities, PWD’s, across the country.
Bala made the appeal in Abuja when she picked her nomination form for a reelection at the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ),Abuja.
Speaking after picking her form, Comrade Bala vowed that her team is committed to the wellbeing of all women journalists embedded in her vision of more achievements for the next 5years.
“We have the vision and the blueprint of where we want NAWOJ to be, as I speak we just concluded the development of a five year Workplan and that is the roadmap of what NAWOJ is going to do in the next years even after I complete my three year tenure, the vision will guide the Affairs of the association and this is sustainability.
“Why I’m seeking reelection is because we have laid foundation for the strengthening of NAWOJ and we need a renewal of mandate to consolidate on the gains recorded so far,” she said.
She noted that since the 34years of NAWOJ existence, her administration was able to secure an office space with staff and offices for all state chapters, adding that this has given the organization a face-lift even as it has also secured a land and working tirelessly towards developing it into a permanent and more befitting Secretariat for the association.
“This is the very first time we have a sitting President operating from an office space and all the National officers having their office in the Secretariat and this is a remarkable achievement.”
“We have also been able to secure a land through the help of the former minister of the FCT, the land is bare and we need to develop it.”
“We need to develop that land for the permanent Secretariat of NAWOJ because we cannot continue staying in a rented apartment, we need a permanent site so that we can use the next three years to build a Secretariat that will outlive this administration and serve the women journalists in Nigeria,” she explained.
“Aside that we have been able to carryout a lot of capacity building for female journalists in Nigeria and when we come back we are going to increase our engagement with development partners and other Governmental and non Governmental Organization to strengthen the capacity of women journalists.
“We are also involved in advancing the cause of women and the less privileged in the society so these are things we would be involved in and we need a renewal of mandate to consolidate on that.”
“My team and I have had a robust relationship and since we came on board there has not been rancour across the 36 states, we have a harmonious and very productive working relationship over the last three years and that is why all the exco members are seeking a reelection.”
One good turn deserves another and three years is a short time for an organisation so we need to consolidate and that is why we seek a reelection,” she added.
Furthermore, the NAWOJ President expressed gratitude to God and to female journalists in Nigeria for giving her the mandate.
She noted that it has been three years of impactful leadership, serious engagement of development of NAWOJ and particularly the most outstanding achievements is being able to secure a Secretariat office space to operate from and with staff on ground.
Bala therefore appealed to all women journalists to key into the vision of transformation by re- election of her team to enable them achieve more while consolidating on gains.
“I appeal to women journalists in Nigeria, we have moved from where we are and we are heading somewhere, there wouldn’t have been a better opportunity for women journalists to rally round this administration to renew their mandate than now.
“We have the vision and we are looking at the future and if NAWOJ members across the nation give us their mandate we are going to build and begin to implement these policies and the programmes we have just developed. The lifespan of any administration is three years so even the plan we have will be on ground after three years because we are talking about sustainability.”
It is my prayer that all NAWOJ members will key into this vision so that we will have a better organisation that will serve not just female journalists in Nigeria but the entire society, as it is a new dawn,” she assured.
Earlier, a renowned Journalists, the Campaign leader that brought Bala into office, Amos Dunia, noted that within three years she has ensured capacity building workshops in different states and zones, adding that NAWOJ members should feel proud of this achievement because a lot of members have been trained to work better.
Dunia noted that the association now have partnership with Action Aid and because of that other international organizations are now coming in to see how they could help uplift NAWOJ to international level, to see how they will leverage on having better things for women journalists in Nigeria.
“This is the first time we have an executive led by a national president that has achieved so much in a short time and am so proud, happy and fulfilled that the person whose campaign I led has been able to achieve this and also lead other members of her team its a thing of joy.”
“All members should rally around her for more achievements, ” Dunia .appealed.
Also , the Secretary General of the association Helen John, expressed the desire of team members to seek re-election, affirming that working under the leadership of Comrade Ladi Bala have recorded lots of achievements for the association.
“Today we can boast of a gender policy, an admin policy and also two staff that is readily available at the Secretariat so we have an identity now.”
” My President wants us to do things in the new digital way and move from analogue to digital that make NAWOJ a functional NGO other than being a professional body so we are seeking a re-election to consolidate on that,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chairperson of FCT NAWOJ, Joyce Remi-Babayeju confirmed that the national president, Ladi Bala has been tested and can be trusted as she has in the past three years achieved a lot for the association.
” She has achieved a lot like securing a national office, taking training of NAWOJ members in different states; we have opportunities collaborating with international NGO’s and many more.”
So we call on all female journalists to give her a second chance so she can consolidate on all the good things, Babayeju started.
