ASKOMP Hosts Capacity Building Training for Members, Names Olateju Legal Adviser

ASKOMP organized a one-day training in Ilorin aimed at enhancing the professional skills of its members. Prince Oyewale Oyelola, the association’s Secretary, emphasized their commitment to supporting every member’s development in the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.

The training featured two sessions led by Dr Abdulrasheed Saadudeen and Taofiq Olateju Esq.

Dr Saadudeen, former Head of the Department of Mass Communication at Kwara State Polytechnic, highlighted the role of journalists in creating informative content and shaping public opinion.

“Journalists play crucial role in keeping their people informed about happenings in their respective environment or society. They can also serve as agenda-setters and opinion moulders. Therefore, to do this job effectively, you are expected to have a strong command of the English language as a medium of expression and cultivate the habit of building relationships and networking with sources when gathering information for your reports.”

During the subsequent session, Olateju Esq addressed the topic of Strategic Law Against Public Participation (SLAPP). He advised that individuals who feel harmed by defamatory or slanderous statements should pursue legal remedies through civil or high courts, rather than seeking police or security intervention to suppress speech.

“The 1999 Constitution, as amended, guarantees freedom of expression in Section 39(1). Therefore, no other law should criminalize this freedom. Any law inconsistent with this provision would be null and void. There is no need for additional laws to criminalize freedom of expression. Defamation, injurious falsehood, and criminal defamation are clearly defined in our constitution. Journalists doing their work legitimately should be protected and if someone feels aggrieved by slander or libelous publication, they can approach a civil court or high court instead of petitioning the police to silence or intimidate the journalists.”

Princess Adetoun Ejire, the Kwara State Police PRO, expressed gratitude to ASKOMP members for their significant contribution to unbiased news coverage in Kwara State.

“I commend every member of this association for your dedication to ensuring fair and accurate news reporting in Kwara State. Your efforts are highly valued, and our collaboration is crucial for maintaining peace and progress in our state. The leadership of ASKOMP has done a commendable job organizing this training, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and improvement.”
During his keynote speech, ASKOMP Chairman Salihu Shola Taofeek expressed gratitude to all stakeholders in Kwara for facilitating the work of online journalists through strategic partnerships and support.

“This training underscores our desire to continue to improve and sharpen our skills as demanded by the kind of job we do – online media business. We know it is important that we improve our skills to match the standard requirements of the ever-growing new media. We appreciate the support of every stakeholder in Kwara State and it is our belief that the symbiotic relationship between us will continue.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman took the opportunity to announce that Taofiq Olateju Esq would serve as the official Legal Adviser of the association.

In his closing remarks, ASKOMP Vice Chairman Ogbeni Aiyelabegan Babatunde AbdulRasaq expressed his delight at the strong member turnout and urged everyone to internalize the lessons learned from the lectures.