By Qasim Akinreti, Geneva, Switzerland
Nigerian and Kenyan candidates have been elected into the International Press Institute, (IPI), Board, at its World Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.
Alhaji Maida Waida, Publisher, People’s Daily Newspaper, Chairman, Board of Management, News Agency Of Nigeria, NAN and Stephen Gitagama, Group CEO, Nation Media Group, Kenya were elected to represent, Africa in the IPI Board.
Alhaji Wada replaced Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman of Daily Trust Newspaper.
The General Assembly Of IPI also ratified the election of Maria Ressa, Of Rappler .com into the new Board and nine journalists were re-elected from Slovakia, Norway, South Korea, United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany Japan, Spain and Switzerland into the board.
Mallam Ismail Isa, Chairman Board of Management, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) and Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf had worked tirelessly to rally support for the Nigerian candidate ahead of the opening ceremony and General Assembly of the Institute at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
The new Management Board Of IPI is expected to work assiduously towards the goal of Press Freedom and add values to the ideals of the global media organization in their countries and the collective across the world.
The general assembly approved the entry of Tanzania and Czech Republic into IPI community and equally accepted resolutions on press freedom in Egypt as well as the abuse on Espionage Act over Wikileaks case. It condemned in strong terms all charges under the Espionage Act against Julian Assange.
The General Assembly agreed to issue statements on the Freedom of the Press and Journalists harassment as well as intimidation of Journalists in Cameroon and Sudan.
It observed a minute silence in honour of two IPI heroes who died recently in South Africa and South Korea. They are Raymond Louw from South Africa and S-Whan Hyon who died in South Korea.
The Nigerian delegation to the 2019 IPI world Congress was led by Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, Managing Director/CEO and Board member Daily Trust Newspaper and President, IPI Nigeria.
Others are Alhaji Wada Maina , Sir Folu Olamiti , Former Editor Nigerian Tribune Newspapers and Media Consultant, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC , Alhaji Muhammed Idris , Publisher Blue Print Newspapers , Steve Ayorinde,Former Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Qasim Akinreti, Chairman Nigeria Union Of Journalists, Lagos State Council, Muhammed Mustapha Shehu, Publisher The Politico Magazine , Eniola Bello Managing Director THISDAY newspapers and Osawaru Okunzuwa, MD Community Media based in Benin, Edo state.
IPI world congress 2019 was supported by over 20 media organizations including European Broadcasting Union, EBU Channels Television, Nigeria, and Aljazeera Mesia Network among others.
Ten presentations were made based on the theme of the Congress “ Building Alliances Fir Independent Media “.
Two awards on World Press Freedom Hero 2019 and Free Media Pioneer Award 2019 were presented to Cyril Almeida, Columnist and Assistant Editor, Dawn Pakistan and Lina Attalah, Co-founder and Editor in chief, Mada Masr, Egypt.
