By Kolawole Olayinka, Abeokuta
The Ogun State Correspondent of Daily Times of Nigeria and former Assistant Secretary of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council has revealed that he decided to quit his position as Executive member of the Union in the State on personal reason.
Taiwo, who is also the publisher of Salient Times online said he is leaving the NUJ based on the advice from his family and friends.
He made this known while delivering his tribute at a programme organised by Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council in honour of the departed Chairman, Comrade Olusoji Amosu.
Read his full speech below.
Dear all, let me start this short tribute with one of the famous words of that great playwright, Shakespeare;
'The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"
Dear colleagues, my path and that of SOJ crossed more than 35 years ago, and since then, we have been like a Siamese twins, very inseparable.
We were more than brothers born by the same parents as his family became mine while mine was his
Anything I say here therefore, are true reflection of what Soji was. I know him inside out while he also knew me more than any human.
When we started the journey of life, after leaving school, the two of us weathered the storm together before getting to where we are now.
He was what you all said he was to you. A highly committed family man, a loving husband, an honest companion, a dedicated worker, a patriotic Nigerian, a community leader per excellence, a humanist, a loyal follower, an advocate for the oppressed, a clean person inside out.
Samson Olusoji Amosu in human perspective was an epitome of perfection
My brother was not a smoker, he was very brunt, always smiling, he does not drink, nether does he run after another man's wife.
His most derogatory word while pushed to the wall was to call you'Eleregbe'.
While alive, he was ready to go extra mile to assist whoever need assistance.
His life as a Unionist does not come to us as a surprise. As a grade 2 Teacher, then in one of the Primary school in Adekoyeni village, near Atan Ota, the young Master Amosu was known for his no nonsense stand against cheating and injustice. He would tell you where you were wrong and seek after justice till it was accomplished.
His vying for the position of Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Ogun State Council was not by accident. Having served at his chapel level in Six years, he moved to the Council and served as Treasurer for Six years and Secretary for six years again.
While serving as Secretary, because of his passion and to impact on the life of his people, he was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the Ogun State NUJ needed a better leadership that must not be self-centered and a true welfarists.
He regretted his Six years of serving as Secretary where the Council was not able to point to one single project that it was able to accomplish because the headship then lacked focus.
It was self and self alone. The Union as it was been run them was what I called 'Mutan yanyan', administration, hence, Amosu confided in some of us that his only aim of seeking to serve as the Chairman of Ogun NUJ was to right the wrongs of his Six years tenure of Secretariship.
True to his words, as soon as he emerged as Chairman of the most contested for election in the history of Ogun NUJ, he hit the ground running by digging a deep well at Iwe-Iroyin. He renovated all the toilet facility at the Secretariat and put the Iwe-Iroyin hall in good shape. This was done within only 37 days before a monster in human skin decided to put a clog in the wheel of progress of the Union in the State, and behold things then fall apart.
But Amosu remained undeterred, he pursue his mandate legally, and he was vindicated and resumed fully on February 24, 2021.
Within this Nine months that he returned as Chairman, he had greatly changed the face of the Union by facilitating these various projects to the Union.
1) Total renovation of the Office of the Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and the general office
2) Repair of the toilet facility at the Secretary and his assistant office
3) Purchase of 16 dozens of plastic chairs for the hall
4) Purchase of 4 giant fans for the Union
5)Celebration of this year's democracy day by the Union (First of it's kind)
Apart form this and many more,
His administration held talk with a private developer who had agreed to change the face of the Iwe-Iroyin secretariat by redesigning it and changing it to a modern shopping complex with administrative office, and modern events center.
Already, the survey had been done, Our grand Patron had also agreed to donate a substantial money for the ground works while the developer had agreed to commence work by January, 2022.
Apart from this, Comrade Soji Amosu led administration had also held talks with three developers that will help in the construction of a befitting office complex and a three star guests house at the Union permanent site at Abiola way, Abeokuta. They have visited the site, and the agreement was that before the end of the first quarter of next year, works should have commenced on the site.
At Iwe-Iroyin here in Oke-ilewo, friends of the Union ought to have started the drilling of another borehole here some weeks ago, but for his sickness, he could not pursue it, but before the middle of next month, the Secretariat should start enjoying good drinkable water.
This are modest works that Soji and his team were able to put on the table for the Union in the State. What he had been telling us was that he was only going to accomplish all this task within just a term, that he had no ambition to recontext for second term.
Gentlemen, his aim was to make Ogun NUJ self financing, to take the Union from the shame of begging for money all the time and even get fundings to take care of the welfare of its members, but alas.
I know we are all mourning now, but my happiness was that Soji left this sinful world with pure heart. Even his detractors can attest to this. He had nothing negative , so who is me not to rejoice in that human phonemenon.
Gentlemen having listened to the counsels of my family, Men of God, some very close friends and as a form of loyalty even to a friend in a million, I Abiodun Peter Taiwo, hereby resign my position as an Executive member of Nigeria Union of Journalists, with immediate effect, also I hereby suspend myself from been a member of Nigeria Union of Journalists, from today, 18th, 2021. Former handing over will be done on Monday.
I thank all my friends and colleagues, I also pray that God grant the dead grace and peace, give the family succor when they need their fathers attention.
Soji, we miss you greatly. Adieu.
Olusoji Amosu, Omo Onisaga, Omo a fansanyin jagun Oba. O di gbere o di arinanako,o di an rini a n joni sleep well beloved.
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