-by Akinlolu Abayomi
Former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, who was the People’s Trust presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim , Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, and former Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin were among prominent Nigerians who shone at the event held to mark the 45th anniversary of Correspondents’ Chapel by the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Kwara State in Ilorin penultimate week.
Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who was represented by Mr Abdulrazaq Hamzat, was honoured with an award of Excellence while he also donated N5 million to the Correspondents’ Chapel at the event.
Olawepo dedicated the award to Nigerian youths and victims of institutional abuse while noting that it was not about personal achievement but ‘about amplifying the voices of those silenced by systemic injustice’.
The ₦5 million donation, he added, is a demonstration of his commitment to press freedom and encouraging a vibrant and independent media, which he described as the ‘pillar of democracy’.
He also tasked Nigerian journalists with remaining fearless in holding institutions accountable noting that institutional abuse, especially within academia, is a ‘silent killer of democracy that stifles innovation, silences dissent, and erodes public trust in governance’.
Recalling how the University of Lagos withheld his degree certificate after disagreements over student activism, a challenge he turned into an opportunity, Olawepo added that he used the opportunity to establish ‘Set and Sell’, a political communication firm that launched his career in Public Relations and entrepreneurship.
He also cited the case of Hamzat, who was expelled and denied a Master’s degree certificate by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) over a dispute regarding student association activities, describing such actions as ‘a dangerous stain on Nigeria’s democratic credentials’.
