Jare Babatunde
THE IMPACT Newspaper, a foremost community and online news medium, was on Thursday, April 1, 2021, honoured with a Community Builders’ Award by the Igbe community in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria.
According to the organisers of the award, Igbe Road Rehabilitation Committee (IRRC), the award was in recognition of the newspaper’s meritorious and selfless service towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Igbe road.
The leading community news medium and Channels Television were the only two media organizations conferred with the honour.
Also, royal and distinguished personalities like His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Rep. Babajimi Benson, Chairman, House Committee on Defense, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, Chairman, House Committee on Public Account (State), Lagos Assembly, Builder Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and Prince Kunle Oduborisha among others, were also honoured with the award.
Those that spoke at the award ceremony commended THE IMPACT for its effective and impactful coverage of the state of Igbe road (now Hon. Babajimi Benson Road) right from its era of collapse to rehabilitation stage.
The Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief of the paper, Kunle Adelabu who received the award, thanked the community, especially the IRRC, for the honour.
He said that the community deserves wide coverage because of the importance of the road and how the rehabilitation committee managed funds generated for the rehabilitation of the road while also commending Hon. Benson for his intervention.
“This is not expected at all because we were just doing our job by bringing the government’s and general public’s attention to the state of the road with the main objective of influencing its reconstruction.
“Kudos to the Igbe Road Rehabilitation Committee for this award bestowed on us. It shows that people are recognizing our efforts.
“As a news medium, we shall further strive towards adequate reportage of every part of Ikorodu Division and bring the attention of necessary quarters to areas, irrespective of the locations, that are in need”, he said.
“I also want to commend the community for its accountability, transparency and probity in handling millions of naira generated for the self – help project which saw to the stabilization of the road and fixing of the drainage systems on both sides of the road.
“More importantly, I thank the representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson, for his intervention that finally ensured that the road was completely put in good shape.
“This is a representation at its best and the community has shown that they truly appreciated what he did by renaming the road after him and also honoured him with an award as a Community Builder.
“Kudos to others too that contributed towards the rehabilitation of the road”, he added.
