Distinguished Fellows and members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors,
Yes, I have thrown my hat into the ring to succeed Mr. Gbenga Adefaye as president of our association, the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Why, some people may ask. Or rather, as some people have been asking, why must an Adesina succeed an Adefaye in a position, in such a plural country as this?
Here’s why. In the past four years, I have served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Guild. And without any attempt at flattery, I’ll confess that the outgoing president has led the association with dignity, with passion, and with integrity. And as an insider, I’m impressed and inspired. I believe the Guild must not only sustain, but increase the tempo. And without being immodest, I think I can make a contribution in that direction. If our members give me their mandates and elect me as president, dignity and integrity of the association will be paramount. That is a solemn promise.
Of course, we will continue with the good works of past leaderships like holding our Annual Nigerian Editors Conference, consolidate on the Media Centre we propose to run in partnership with the School of Media and Communication of Pan-African University (there can really be no end to training and re-training), and conclude work on securing a plot of land in a commercial area in Abuja, to build our National Secretariat. And we will build. Again, freedom of the press shall be pursued with passion. All these, and more, we shall do, even as we strive to make the Guild financially independent, so that we do not have to go cap in hand to government(s) again, before we hold our programmes, or do other salutary things that will touch the lives of Nigerian editors positively.
Did I have an ambition to lead the Guild 18 months ago? No. But in Benin, in September 2011, while our conference was in progress, a delegation visited my room, made of respected and respectable members from the northern part of the country. What was their message? “We want you to consider succeeding Gbenga Adefaye as president at the expiration of his term.” Really? I asked in consternation. Yes, they said, adding that they believed I could lead the Guild creditably. I thanked them for the compliments, but added: “Can you sell this to our brethren in the North, who may want to insist on power rotation?” (even though such does not exist in the Constitution of the Guild) They told me to leave the matter to them, assuring that a good number of our brothers and colleagues from the North were already privy to the discussion they were having with me. I thanked them as they left, believing that the NGE was going to show good example to the rest of the country in terms of succession in office. What partisan politicians could not do, editors were going to do, and in admirable fashion too.
The year 2012 came, and rolled out, and those who had consulted with me maintained their positions. And without my actually telling anybody, I discovered that the buzz was all over the place, and the ‘Femi Adesina for president’ project had developed a life of its own. Unknown to me also, a good number of our friends and colleagues had even been campaigning for me covertly.
Yes, during the almost 18 months between when the idea to run for president was broached to me, and now, I had the chance to reflect on things we can do to take the Guild forward. I then transited from someone that was invited to run, to a very willing candidate, with a clear idea of what I can do to build a Guild we can all be proud of.
And that is why I invite you to let us team up, and elect a leadership of our choice for the Guild of Editors, without force, coercion, or pandering to primordial sentiments, as we hold our convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, from February 28 to March 1, 2013.
The Guild of Editors is our professional association. It will neither break, be factionalized, nor be fractured. Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand.
Let’s meet in Ibadan, and let’s do it, and do it right.
God bless.
Femi Adesina is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, The Sun Newspapers.
