President Bola Tinubu and Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke have congratulated the President/CEO of The Crest online newspaper, Chief Shola Oshunkeye, on his 70th birthday.
In a statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President rejoiced with the 2006 CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year overall winner, and praised his contributions to the struggle for the restoration of democracy and accountable governance in Nigeria.
President Tinubu happily noted that Oshunkeye’s unrelenting pursuit of truth, not only in Nigeria but across Africa, culminated in the CNN award for his investigative work, Niger’s Graveyard of the Living.
He also commended the former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Ghana Limited for his contributions to the development of journalism in the country.
The President wished Oshunkeye many more years of fruitful service to Nigeria and humanity.
In another statement, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for the Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke described Oshunkeye as an international journalist who has brought honour to the state, Nigeria and Africa.
The governor recalled the great works and sacrificial service that Oshunkeye, an indigene of Ilesa, has rendered to Nigeria and humanity.
He referenced his roles in the struggle for the actualisation of the 12 June 1993 pan-Nigerian mandate given to Basorun Moshood Abiola, and the eventual achievement of the return to democratic governance in 1999.
Adeleke said that, across Nigeria’s borders, Oshunkeye is on record as one of the international journalists to travel to Niger Republic in 2005 to draw the world’s attention to the humanitarian disaster in the country. The country was devastated by the worst drought and famine in modern history resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of children and livestock.
The governor recalled that Oshunkeye’s moving story, published by TELL magazine won for the writer the overall prize of CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year 2006.
Adeleke said: ‘It is because of his meritorious service to the nation that I and my good people of Osun State celebrate this amazing son of Ijesaland, and congratulate his wife, Funsho, and their beautiful children, on this landmark. Oshunkeye is a precious gift to us in Osun State. May the good Lord continue to preserve him and bless him and his family’.
A Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Oshunkeye was at various times Editor of Weekend Concord, Senior Associate Editor of TELL magazine and General Editor at The Sun Group.
