A Correspondent of Voice Of Nigeria, VON, Hajia Asmau Halilu on Monday in Kaduna emerged the first female Chairperson of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel, not only in Kaduna, but the entire Northern Nigeria.
Addressing colleagues after her swearing in, Asmau noted that the feat was made possible by member’s overwhelming support and encouragement.
“This support is an indication of the love you have for me to serve in this capacity.
“As new leaders, we solicit for your continuous support to succeed in this task; we will always consult within the chapel, as well as with the State Council and other stakeholders to achieve giant strides.
“In our tenure, we shall prioritize the welfare of members; we (the new leaders), will collectively be like the mother hen, who will be responsible for every member and ensure that each person is properly taken care of, to the best of our ability.
“We will carry out journalism training and explore other capacity building opportunities for Chapel members, this will be pursued to ensure ethics and standard practice of the profession are upheld.
“We will do our best not to over rely on individuals and organisations for income. In due course, we shall run businesses to sustain the income of the Chapel. We intend to introduce a vibrant Cooperative, where members can save money and as well access loans easily.
“We shall set up a system that will address cases of misunderstanding and address misgivings among members. I promise to personally reach out to aggrieved members, if there is any, for a united body; We are better together than being apart.
“I acknowledge the bold decision taken by Mr Abdulraheem Aodu to ensure my emergence as Chairperson, I remain grateful. Thank you, Sir.
“Lastly, I extend my gratitude to the National body, our State Council and the outgoing Chapel Exco for their support, which I will continue to count on to succeed.
“I will not forget the women folk who rallied around me and added their voices to this clarion call, in Sha Allah, I will make us proud”, she declares
