Publisher and editor of Shipping Position Weekly newspaper, Mr Sesan Onileimo has been voted as the maritime editor of the year in the second annual evergreen national maritime merit awards.
The awards ceremony which is the brainchild of Peoples’ Forum newspaper has been fixed for May 21, 2009 at the prestigious Etal Hotels in Apapa.
Conveying the award to Mr Onileimo via a letter that was signed by the newspaper’s publisher, Mr Tunde Ojudun, the organisers said it was propelled into giving the awards based on its longstanding role as a watchdog of the maritime industry.
According to the organisers, “for this year’s edition, the selection and award committee met with several stakeholders to gauge their opinions on those who should be honoured”.
Confirming Mr Onileimo’s emergence a sthe maritime editor, the organisers disclosed that “stakeholders unanimously voted for you as the Best Maritime Editor”.
“We agree with the stakeholders based on the doggedness and steadfastness with which you have been passionately carrying on your duty as a maritime journalist. We have therefore selected you for the Evergreen National Maritime Merit Award for the Best Maritime Editor”, letter stressed.
The latest award further boosts Mr Onileimo’s profile as one of Nigeria’s frontline maritime journalists.
In 1995, he won the Chief Bob Ogbuagu prize as Champion Newspaper’s best reporter. In 1999, he also won the Maritime Industry Merit Award as the best reporter. There are a couple of other awards.
Apart form wining awards, Mr Onileimo has in the past been appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to perform certain maritime sector-related responsibilities. In 2002, he was appointed a member of the caretaker committee that oversaw the affairs of the then-troubled Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria. He was again appointed in 2003 as a member of the implementation committee on the Cabotage Law.
He is a former president of Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria as well as being a Council member and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping. He is also an associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management.
Mr Onileimo is also the Executive Director of a maritime sector based non-governmental organisation (NGO) called the Maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative (MAIN).
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