NAWOJ Election: Another Chance for Women of Substance

Matilda Omonaiye/

Still waters, as the saying goes, run deep.

This perfectly captures the lifestyle of the highly accomplished woman, Hajia Sekinah Temitope Lawal, who is seeking a second term to lead the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Lagos with a team of other women of substance.

The team includes Mrs Tessy Igomu (Vice-Chairperson), Amaka Emeka (Financial Secretary), Shakeerah Adunola (Treasurer), and Bose Adelaja (Assistant Secretary).

With no airs around her, hardly would anyone know the mileage that Hajia Lawal has covered in a short while.

She was able to get the attention of the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari, who included 50 members of NAWOJ in her empowerment programs; several professional training were arranged for members among other laudable projects including the Annual Family Week campaigns.

In spite of her accomplishments, Hajia Lawal is facing opposition from the National President of NAWOJ, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole, who is determined to stop her team. She has her reasons.

Omowole has been dragged to Court where she is defending herself against allegations of monumental fraud in a sham housing scheme that fleeced journalists in Lagos of over N100million, and Hajia Lawal has been a thorn in her flesh leading the struggle to get justice for more than 800 affected journalists. Some of them have died while fighting to get their money back.

Journalists who subscribed to the housing scheme reportedly made payments in dollars and Naira, and there were victims who contributed about N2 million.

Five years on, the houses have not been built and the various sums paid by the subscribers have not been refunded.

The case will come up again in court tomorrow and NAWOJ election holds today.

“Those who defrauded us on NAWOJ/NUJ LAGOS housing projects feel that I am too vocal on the issue and vow to stop my coming back,” Hajia Lawal said.

Omowole’s partners said N70 million out of the money paid by subscribers was spent on bush clearing and importing electrical fittings from China.

Omowole claimed to have sent another $28,000 to someone in the US to spend for her because it was getting “expired”.

Subscribers are also asking for a refund of another N30million paid in naira.

The national body had claimed the dollars exchanged at N490 were exchanged at N309.

“They have to fight this dirty because we have documents to show that Ifeyinwa exchanged the $227,000 (N81, 942, 630) without the approval of the then exco and the subscribers simply because of the huge millions of naira she made on the illegal and unapproved withdrawal and subsequent exchange,” she said.

To stop Hajia Lawal from returning as Chairperson of NAWOJ, Omowole has fielded a candidate from the Lagos State Information Chapel.

The Lagos State Information Chapel says it has almost 300 practising female journalists that would vote in today’s election and that list is more than the population of female journalists practising in all the mainstream media in Lagos combined. Every other chapel has between 15 and 30 members.

With over 20 years of work experience, as a Reporter, Correspondent, Line Editor, an Assistant Editor, with several awards in her kitty, Hajia Lawal has worked as the Online Editor of The Point Newspaper before she joined the Chief Detective magazine.

She was the Managing Editor, MASSCOPE Magazine, an annual magazine of the Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos (1994-1995), a Fellow, Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria; Internal Auditor, Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos Chapter, and Welfare Executive, University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA).

Hajia Lawal was the Head Prefect (Female) at Methodist High School, Abeokuta- Ogun State (1988-1990), board member, METHOSA OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION, and board member, Media Career Services.

She had received several honours and awards including JAAIDS’ Red Ribbon Award in Outstanding Informed Commentary on HIV/AIDS; Best Health Correspondent (Print) Award 2008/2009 and 2010/2011 by Lagos State Government; Best Behaved Corp Member 1998 by Muslim Corp Members Association of Nigeria, Abia State Chapter; Best Overall Student, 1990 Set of Methodist High School, Abeokuta-Ogun State among others.

She became an alumnus of the School of Media and Communications (SMC) of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, after taking some professional courses in Advanced Media Management and Writing in a Digital Age (AMDA) 1st Class-2015.

Hajia Lawal has Masters in Managerial Psychology from the University of Lagos and BSc Mass Communication from the same institution.

She attended Methodist High School, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Owu Baptist Day School, Ita- Iyalode, Abeokuta- Ogun State.

She has also attended many training workshops and conferences home and abroad, including:

• Advanced Writing Skill Course at the Lagos Business School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lekki-Lagos.

• Fate Foundation Certificate in Basic Skills in Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

• Pan Atlantic University’s School of Media and Communication Course in Best Journalism Practices in the Digital Age-Enhancing Reporting Skills.

• Two-time participants at the World Peace Conference in the United Kingdom.

• Immersion Fellow Recognition Certificate.

• DAME Award on Developmental Reporting Category of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence.

• Two-time recipient of the Lagos State Quality Health Reporting Award.

• Rotary International Award on Humanitarian Reporting

• British Council Certificate on training on Quality and Accurate Health Reporting.

• Ford Foundation Certificate on training on Policy Analysis and Budget Tracking.

• Mobil’s training on Online Publishing and Social Media.

• World Health Organization, WHO’s training workshop on Health Reporting.

Several trainings by UNICEF.

• Many National Conferences on Peaceful Coexistence, Hajj Operations in Nigeria by the Nigerian Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs Council as well as on Roles of Zakat in Poverty Alleviation, Science and Moon Sighting among others.

The NAWOJ Election holds today at Radio Lagos/Eko FM starting from 8 am.

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