By Abubakar Imam
The Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun, on Thursday conferred with the Distinguished Media Profession Award (DMP) by the Omo Ibile Igbomina, the umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the Igbomina people worldwide.
He was one of the several prominent Igbomina sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves in their various professions and who have contributed in one way or the other to the development of Igbominaland.
Speaking at the event, which held at Igbomina House, Ganmo, while conferring the award, the National President of the Association, Elder G. Y. Jimoh, said that the award was conferred on the foremost journalist and consummate public relations practitioner in appreciation of his hard work and enterprising nature that have seen him gone far in his chosen career.
The President appreciated the glittering patriotism and exciting professionalism of Mr Akogun, which are laced with integrity and humility, saying that it was the evaluation of his professionalism and contributions to the progress and prosperity of Igbominaland that earned the Director the prestigious award.
Elder Jimoh appreciated the leadership role of Mr Akogun as well as his exemplary conducts as a media practitioner as he was urged not to relent in his efforts for his people to remain proud of him.
In his response, Mr Akogun, who was visibly excited, thanked the leadership and members of the Association for finding him worthy of the award, which he said he would continue to cherish for a long time to come.
The multiple award winning veteran journalist added that he would not take the award for granted, saying that he felt more honoured to have been singled out for celebration by the respected body along with several highly distinguished personalities from Igbominaland.
Mr Akogun, who was accompanied to the event by the Station Manager, UNILORIN 89.3 FM, Mr Idris Akintola Ibrahim and the Deputy Editor, UNILORIN BULLETIN, Mr Abubakar Imam, as well as family members nevertheless charged the organisation to consider a way of mobilising the abundant human resources available in Igbominaland, especially its members who are operating in the media space to positively project and promote the cause of the community and its people, saying that “if one does not blow his trumpet no one would do it as the trumpet may even get rusted and destroyed”.
Other prominent Igbomina people who were also conferred with various categories of awards on the occasion included the founder of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, and Asiwaju of Igbomina-Ekitiland, Chief AbdulRaheem Oladimeji, OFR; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and pioneer Commissioner for Justice in Kwara State, Chief Peter Olorunnisola; a former Commissioner for Information in Kwara State, Chief Raheem Adedoyin; the General Manager of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Idofian, Mr Abdulwahab Akoshile; and a former Chairperson of the Kwara State Chapter of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ),among several other accomplished professionals.