Global media and communication icon, Professor Idowu Sobowale, has tasked the new leadership of the Association of Communication Scholars Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), to ensure the dream of the Association’s founding fathers remain fresh and fulfilled among succession of scholars and practitioners in Nigeria.
Sobowale, who is life Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Association, made the remarks while hosting some members of the National Executive Council of the ACSPN on a courtesy visit led by its National President, Professor Rotimi Olatunji at his Gbagada, Lagos home.
The BoT chair, a former Commissioner for Education in Lagos State, told the executive council members to continue with the great legacy in which the association has been built upon, saying he continues to monitor their performance along the line. “I will not hesitate to speak to your performance”, he told the team which led by President of the association, Prof Rotimi Olatunji. The team also included General Secretary, Dr. Solomon Oyeleye and Assistant General Secretary, Dr. Babatunde Faustino.
He expressed delight at the change of baton in the association saying he was privy to the emergence of the new set of leaders and has confidence that, given their antecedents, they would be able to perform creditably well.
Earlier in his address, Professor Olatunji had expressed delight that the BoT Chair was able to meet his team, noting that Sobowale was not on ground during the election that brought the new leaders into office, hence the need to meet with him thereafter as a sign of honour and respect to his personality and office.
Olatunji noted it was necessary for the Association to visit him and keep him up to speed on the development so far.
He said: “We appreciate the BoT for the confidence reposed in us. We came to take counsel and prayers from you. We want to assure you that the Nigeria communication scholarship family is going well. The ACSPN now has state chapters and work is in top gear toward the 2025 conference that will take place in Warri.”
The ACSPN president also presented books that were products of the conference held in LASU to commemorate Prof. Idowu Sobowale’s 80th birthday. Again, he informed him that another conference is on its way in Olabisi Onabanjo University to honour him.
Olatunji revealed that the current leadership was poised to honour all leaders and icons in the association. “ACSPN has book projects to be dedicated to each of our icons, ” he said, adding that, “we want to also supplement that with short bios of each icon to be uploaded on our YouTube channel so that generations to come will know more about our leaders.”.
“We want to assure you that the Idowu Sobowale Int Conference is on course. The last edition was a global affair with contributions from the UK and other parts of Europe. We are planning another one. We want to go back to Ago Iwoye where we started. We plan that next year to mark your birthday”, he said and assured the BoT chairman that work was also in progress on two volumes of books dedicated to honour the memories of the first National President, Professor Lai Oso. The two volumes have more than 90 contributors, according to Olatunji
Other ACSPN members on the visit include Dr Wale Ajayi, Dr Oluseun Ijikelly, and Mr. Ade Ina-Thomas, from Lagos State University of Science and Technology, as well as Mrs Funmilola Falobi of the Department of Mass Communication, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State.
