Six days to its 9-month anniversary, your darling publication- insideoyo.com, has been voted as the number one Online news portal in Oyo State.
The award was presented during the maiden edition of Oyo Merit/Good Governance Award, put together by crossover broadcaster- Mayor Isaac Brown, organiser of the annual Miss Oyo Beauty Pegeant.
Insideoyo.com defeated 4 others – ParrotExtra, AlarinkaAgbaye, Newspeakonline and CEOAfrica, to clinch the coveted prize.
Other winners include Fresh FM – radio station of the year; BCOS – TV station of the year; Sen. Adesoji Akanbi- senator of the year; Hon. Temitope Sugar – rep of the year; Mayor Isaac Brown- 2017 Oyo broadcaster of the year (politics and current affairs); Salam Saheed- online activist of the year; Dr. Azeez Adeduntan – commissioner of the year; Dr. Morohunkola Thomas- outstanding scholar in politics (serving), Hon. Bolaji Badmus- Oyo house lawmaker of the year; Governor Abiola Ajimobi- S/W second term governor of the year and BOVAS- most responsive gas station of the year.
The co-publisher of the medium, Sikiru Akinola, who was on ground to receive the award was full of praises for the organiser, adding that “this award will spur us to do more in the coming years, especially from 2018. We are glad this is coming 9 months after we decided to try our luck; to effect changes in the society.”
He noted: “It was not easy at all. At a point, we thought of resting the publication due to numerous challenges. Till this moment, we are yet to get our first advertorial. Without advertorials, no newspaper can survive. Some people approached us with financial support; we were however careful. We are mindful of our vision; that we are not going to be bias. And there is no way we would collect money money from such individuals without being influenced. We advised them to put it in form of advertorial. That was the end. We are yet to see them.
“We have been blackmailed. One of us has had to be questioned by the anti-kidnapping unit of the Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force for nothing. We have had to go underground for days. Despite all these, we still believe that we owe the society a duty to report issues as they are. And this, we promise to pursue vigorously as we journey further. I thank the organisers of this award. They have succeeded in keeping us in business as this will continue to motivate us,” he concluded.
Shortly after the award presentation, co-Publisher and editor-in-chief of the medium, Babatunde Ojekunle, said that “the award is a pointer to a better news-feed for 2018 and to serve our people better with informative and undiluted news from the pacesetter State.
“We appreciate our esteemed readers and advertisers as we hope to serve you better in 2018. This coming months, we will be focused reporting issues that relate to societal wellbeing and how those in positions of power have served their people,” he quipped.
