The Kabba-born journalist who joined four other aspirants in the race for the position of the party scribe declared his objective without mincing words: “to help rebuild the image of the party.”
Addressing journalists shortly after collecting his application form, he said: “PDP has a better understanding of the problems confronting Nigeria than the All Progressives Congress (APC). With good information management, it would not be difficult to win back the confidence of Nigerians in the party.”
Given his professionalism and wealth of experience, Ologbondiyan’s entry into the race has raised the bar of the contest for the specialized position that requires high-level cognate journalism proficiency.
Outside his media work, he was once secretary to Kogi Elders Council under the leadership of General David Jemibewon. At a time, he was a media aide to the late Aro of Mopa, Chief Sunday Awoniyi.
Ologbondiyan, who started his newspaper career as a proofreader, rose through the ranks to become production editor and later, reporter. At a time, he was Thisday’s correspondence in Akwa Ibom for nine months but was recalled to Lagos because of his artful skill of turning out balance reports. He was subsequently deployed to the State House, Alausa, Lagos.
By dint of hard work, he worked his way to recognition and was consequently transferred to the National Assembly, Abuja, which he covered for many years.
During his odyssey as a newsman in the corridor of the legislative complex, his professionalism endeared him to influential politicians such as Senator Tunde Ogbeha, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District, little wonder when he was appointed the senator’s special assistant on media and publicity, and subsequently, special assistant on media to the then Senate President, David Mark.
Before his secondment to Senator Mark, he had become Thisday’s Group Political Editor. Thereafter, he returned to the title as Deputy Daily Editor and later became, its online editor.
A graduate of University of Lagos, with a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ologbondiyan, is versed in Nigeria’s political evolution with a strong institutional memory of PDP activities.
Without a doubt, he is a good fit for the position of party secretary, especially as PDP gird for a comeback. He is a reservoir of huge resources––vast knowledge, goodwill and contacts in both old and new media, and in the political circles––which will benefit the party.
“I have been a loyal and active member of the PDP,” said the journalist-turned-politician who contested the party’s House of Representatives primaries in 2011.
Credit: Kogiparrot Newspaper
No comments:
Post a Comment