Ismail Omipidan, chief press secretary to Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun State, would be honoured alongside others by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Zone B tomorrow.
The award would be conferred at its maiden edition of public lecture series at the NUJ Press Center in Iyagangu area of Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.
Apart from the Ila-born senior journalist, distinguished Nigerians like Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun State; Bisi Fayemi, wife of Ekiti State governor; Olayinka Joel Ayefele, Fresh FM owner; Oba Oladele Odugbemi, Olu of Lisa Kingdom, (Ali-Odu) 1, and others, will be decorated in recognition of their selfless and meritorious service to the nation and particularly humanity as a whole.
According to a press release jointly signed by the Vice-President of the zone, Comrade Ronke Afebioye- Samo,and the Zonal Secretary,Comrade Abdulrazaq Alege, the Public Lecture series was inspired by the dire need for the Nigerian society to be properly enlightened, informed, educated and orientated on issues and matters of national interest.
Deputy vice-chancellor (administration) at the Federal University, Oye, FUOYE, Shola Omotola, will be presenting a lecture on the topic: 2023 General Elections and Electoral Issues in Nigeria: Media Perspectives on wayforward.
Omipidan, who holds a bachelor degree in mass communication, was born on April 3, 1975.
He attended L.G.E.D Primary School, Otukpo and later went to Saint Francis College, Otukpo and Ewulo College, Otukpo, respectively, for his secondary school education and obtained a Second Class Lower Division in Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri. Earlier, he had obtained a National Diploma in Mass Communication (Lower Credit), from Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna. He had also completed a Master’s Degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies, from the Nigeria’s foremost Military Academy, the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna.
Omipidan, who started his Journalism carrier in Kaduna, over 20 years ago, is currently the Chief Press Secretary to Osun Governor, a position he assumed on August 5, 2019.
He had served as a Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to a former Deputy President of the Senate. Similarly, he had equally functioned as a Media Consultant to the Senate Committee on the Amendment of 1999 Constitution (2011-2015).
Before his latest appointment, he was an Assistant Editor, Politics with The Sun Newspapers, Lagos.
Earlier, he had served as an Assistant Editor, in charge of the North-West and North-East. He was then responsible for coordinating and supervising editorial and Business activities in the two regions.
For rare display of dedication to duty, he was given a commendation letter by Media Trust Limited, publishers of Weekly, Sunday and Daily Trust Newspapers, for defying the 2000 Kaduna ethno-religious crisis to come to work, and made it possible for the week’s edition to hit the newsstand. And since joining The Sun, he has won several awards, prominent among which are: “Best Political Reporter of The Year- 2009” and MD’s award 2011, for outstanding performance.
Prior to his appointment as Regional Head at The Sun, Omipidan was a Chief Correspondent, with The Spectator, a sister publication from The Sun’s stable. He was promoted on transfer, with effect from April 1, 2008 to the paper, a weekly, to establish its Abuja office. He had also started the Maiduguri Office of The Sun in 2003, shortly after joining the paper from the defunct The Comet.
Since his foray into the Journalism profession, spanning over 20 years, right from his days in the Polytechnic as Editor-in-Chief of a training Magazine, Kadascope, Omipidan has in addition to the aforementioned, worked either as a freelance reporter or paid staff of the following media organisations: The Week Magazine, The Guardian, Weekly Trust and The Punch, which was specifically for a four month Internship.
Apart from working as a State Correspondent in Kaduna, Borno and Yobe States in the past, he had also reported from the National Assembly (Senate) and the F.C.T ministry for The Sun, from 2005 to 2008. And as a National Assembly Correspondent, he served as the Chairman of the Senate Press Corps before his promotion and subsequent redeployment from Abuja in December 2008, to Kaduna.
As a unionist, Omipidan used the school’s training Magazine, to campaign vigorously for a democratically elected Students Union Government, SUG, in Kadpoly, as against the Care-Taker-Committee, CTC, in place at that time. This no doubt earned him arrest twice by the school’s security operatives who accused him of plans to cause civil unrest on the campus. But he remained undaunted until the school management saw reason in the campaign, and allowed for a democratically elected SUG. He was one of the Presidential aspirants, before his quest for a higher degree saw him leaving Kadpoly for Unimaid in 2001.
While in Maiduguri, he was actively involved in NUJ activities. Apart from serving as the Secretary of the Correspondents’ Chapel, for just 14 months (February 2002 to April, 2003), he also served as the State Secretary of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria, SWAN (June 2003 to February, 2005). He was part of the State’s team to Badagary, in Lagos, for the NUJ National Delegates’ Conference, that gave Senator Smart Adeyemi, his second and final term in office, as NUJ’s National President. He was also part of the team that led the State’s NAWOJ delegation to Minna, in 2004, where Toro, from Lagos emerged as the NAWOJ’s National President, and Hajia AishatIbrahim, from Borno, emerging as National Secretary. Equally, he represented the State Council on the “Operation 500 Roads,” of the FERMA, ministry of Works, under Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe as minister then, where he later served as the Secretary of that committee.
He was also Treasurer, Kaduna State Council of the NUJ, Vice Chairman, NUJ , Kaduna and later acting Chairman, NUJ, Kaduna.
Furthermore, he was Secretary, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, MSSN, Otukpo Area Unit, Assistant Secretary, MSSN, Benue State, Vice Chairman, Ansar-Ud-Deen Youth Association of Nigeria, ADYAN, Kaduna Branch, 1st Assistant Secretary, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, ADS, Kaduna Branch, 1st Vice National Chairman, ADYAN and Publicity Secretary of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Abuja branch.
A stickler for rules of engagement, Omipidan is a team player who is always desirous to putting in his best so as to improve organization’s objectives and achieve its goals and targets.
Apart from exhibiting a high level of discipline and dedication in any work environment, he is one that practices journalism in such a way as to impact positively on the society so that there is no vacuum. Until his appointment in 2019, he was a regular guest analyst on one of Nigeria’s foremost political cum Current Affairs TV Programme on TVC, Journalists’ Hangout.
