From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Igbo community in Oyo State has declared support for The Sun Publishing Limited, commending the company for its unique style of information gathering and circulation.
The Igbo community gave the commendation on Wednesday when the management team of The Sun, comprising Executive Director, Mr. Bolaji Tunji; Editor, Daily Sun, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh and Deputy Chairman of Editorial Board, Mr. Robert Obioha, visited the community in Ibadan.
During separate visits to leaders of the Igbo community, including Chief Alloy Obi, Onyendu Ndigbo and Dr. Alex Anozie, Eze Ndigbo, in Ibadan, the hosts attested to the leading position of The Sun in Nigeria, and promised to support the newspaper to become the best in the nation and Africa.
Speaking in his residence, in the presence of prominent Igbo leaders in the town, Chief Obi said: “I specially thank The Sun newspaper crew for this visit, the first of its kind by any media house since I was elected and inaugurated as the Onyendu Ndigbo (Igbo leader) of Oyo State by the Igbo General Assembly on the order of the Ohanaeze of South-East states.
“I sincerely appreciate The Sun newspaper for its unprecedented style of information gathering and circulation. Your non-discriminatory attitude in selection and appointment of workers from all the geographical/religious strata of Nigeria is quite commendable. No wonder, you have continued to be one of the best among the rest.”
Dr. Anozie, on his part, while receiving The Sun team with his Eze-in-Council, said the Igbo community in Oyo State cherished The Sun.
“We will support The Sun to maintain its leading position and to become the best newspaper in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
Anozie enjoined the newspaper company to always support and promote the truth at all times. He also lauded the Publisher of The Sun newspapers, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, for his support for Igbo community in the state.
President of Igbo Community Development Association in Oyo State (ICDA), Chief Emmanuel Nzeako, urged The Sun to give more coverage to the activities of the association and promised that they will also reciprocate in terms of business relationship.
Executive Director of the newspaper company, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, in the separate speeches he presented during the visits, described The Sun as the highest circulated newspapers in Nigeria and urged the community to patronise the company with adverts and other businesses. He promised that the newspaper would also support their activities, as the Voice of the Nation.
The company, he said, prints simultaneously in three locations in Nigeria – Lagos, Aba and Abuja – to ensure the products get to newsstands in good time.
He said the Igbo community in Ibadan “is very important to the newspaper company, hence the reason for the visit, which, he said, was with a view to establishing relationship that would be beneficial to the community and the company.
“We hold you in a very high esteem. Igbo community in Ibadan is very large and it is second to Lagos in terms of population. The Sun is the voice of the nation and we will always support the truth,” he said.
Also speaking at the two visits, Editor of Daily Sun, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, who spoke in both Igbo and English, assured the Igbo community of the readiness of The Sun newspaper to support their activities. He also asked the community to patronise the company with adverts so that they would be served better.
Ukeh urged the Igbo community to work together as they would achieve more when all hands are on deck.
“There is the need for the Igbo living in Ibadan and across the country to work together. There should be unity among you. It is said that ‘together we stand and divided we fall’. When Igbo in Ibadan work together and speak with one voice, they will achieve more in terms of personal collective endeavours,” he said.
The editors promised The Sun, being the most widely circulated and selling newspaper in the country, would continue to stand for the truth.
Lending his voice, Robert Obioha enjoined the Igbo community to be united in purpose and action.
… Olubadan, Baale of Ekotedo reiterate love for newspaper
Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, has expressed happiness with the way The Sun has been giving coverage to the activities in the palace since he ascended the throne in March.
Speaking when he received the management of The Sun Publishing Limited, which had earlier visited the Igbo community in the land on Wednesday, the Olubadan said The Sun had shown responsibility in information gathering and dissemination, while enjoining the newspaper to maintain the standard.
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, said The Sun will support the 88th birthday of the monarch on August 26, 2016, with a special publication, a gesture the leading Yoruba monarch welcomed and appreciated.
At the home of the Baale of Ekotedo in Ibadan, Elder Taiye Ayorinde said the people love The Sun and urged the company to keep the flag flying.