For his extensive, accurate and balanced reportage of court
proceedings and profiling of legal practitioners in Kwara State,
National Pilot employee, Kayode Adeoti, has emerged the Judiciary
Reporter of the Year in the state.
Adeoti, who is the head, Judiciary Desk of this medium, is to be
decorated with Medal of Honour by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
Young Lawyers’ Forum (YLF), Ilorin branch, on Sunday.
Recall that the MD/Editor-in-Chief of the medium, Alhaji Billy
Adedamola, during the tenure of the immediate past chairman of the
Ilorin NBA, Manzuma bagged a lifetime award of the NBA.
The father of two is to be honoured during the YLF award night
scheduled to hold 6pm at the Elite Hotel, Offa road, GRA, Ilorin.
Also to be decorated at the event are; the immediate past chairman of
the Ilorin NBA, Issa Manzuma, former chairperson of the Federation of
Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ilorin branch, Ronke Adeyemi, Head Chambers,
Bayo Ojo & Co., Taye Oniyide, Dr. Folorunsho Ahmad Hussein of the
Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin among others.
Also in line for the award are the incumbent General Secretary of the
NBA who doubles as the pioneer chairman of YLF, John Mayokun Dada and
Jamiu Muhammed, who is the immediate past chairman of the forum.
The event is the maiden award night of the YLF and Adeoti is the first
journalist in Kwara State to be so recognised by the forum.
According to the notification letter signed by the Chairman of YLF,
Barr. Dauda Olayinka Jimoh, dated 26 November, 2019, Adeoti will be
decorated following his imapct on professional journalism, public
orientation and development of legal profession.
According to the letter forwarded to this medium, the executives said,
Adeoti will be given Medal of Honour for promoting the forum on the
pages of National Pilot newspaper.
The letter reads; “A very vibrant youth, non Lawyer though, Mr Kayode
Adeoti of National Pilot who has promoted and positively projected YLF
through his journalism by constantly reporting the activities of YLF
and Young Lawyers in Ilorin on the pages of their newspaper: National
Pilot will be honoured with our Medal.”
It further stated that the award is a way of appreciating and
reciprocating the various contributions of individuals to the
development of the judiciary.
It added that, Adeoti exemplifies how to use the press for progress,
fight demagogues of all parties, remain devoted to public welfare, not
satisfied within merely printing news but investigative news reporting
which is typical of National Pilot Newspaper.
Adeoti has been in the journalism practice for over a decade. He was
first a freelance reporter at African Voice, a Lagos-based print
medium. He also had a brief stint with the Kwara State Television
Authority (Kwara TV) where he was trained by the likes of Mr Abayomi
Adeniji, Mr Abdulhakeem Garuba now of Channels TV, Joseph Lere Dada
and Mr Beki, among others.
Adeoti attended the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, where he studied Mass
Communication. Afterwards, he had his PGD while his Masters is in
view.
Meanwhile, the YLF was established in Nigeria 10 years ago to fight
for the interest of young lawyers who were believed to be unjustly
treated by their principals.
In Ilorin, the forum came into being in 2015 with the incumbent
General Secretary of the NBA, Dada appointed the pioneer chairman.
Dada, who piloted the affairs of the forum for only three months
conducted what many young lawyers described as peaceful poll which
ushered in the Jamiu Muhammad-led executives of the YLF.
Muhammad held sway as the chairman of the Forum for two years, and in
2017, another rancour free election saw the emergence of Dauda
Olayinka Jimoh as the leader of the forum.
Come Sunday, history will be made as Jimoh will hand over to a new
executives at the YLF award night which will be chaired by Mumini
Kabiru Alawaye.
Alawaye emerged chairman of the Forum few weeks ago, in an election
that was keenly contested.
