All is now set for WESTERN POST, a regional newspaper designed to comprehensively cover the old Western region, to hit the newsstands. The 40-page weekly will debut on Sunday, March 2.

WESTERN POST is created to be a newspaper of record within the geographical entity that used to be known as Western region, which now comprises Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo and Delta states.

It will cover the old Western Region intensely in the areas of politics, business, arts and life, entertainment and sports.

It is aimed at giving the people within the coverage area a voice, but the coverage area will also extend to the neighbouring Kwara and Kogi states, according to the publishers. They disclosed that the newspaper will also be circulated in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State immediately and later across the country.

The headquarters of the newspaper is located in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and political capital of the defunct Western Region.

According to the brains behind the newspaper: “Going regional for us does not mean we are ethnic chauvinists or champions, but we are simply being realistic. We are aware that in the craze to be national in outlook, so many tangible events and developments in the local governments, states and regions are left uncovered; talk less of being intensely covered.

“This is the void we intend to fill in the case of the old Western Region. We are not making any pretenses about being a regional newspaper. We intend to cover the old Western region completely; in terms of politics, governance, the people, art and life, entertainment, sports, etc.

“We will hold a mirror for the governments in the region to see themselves, and we intend to do this professionally, conscientiously and dispassionately. Our word in this respect will be our bond. We also intend to help power regional integration in this region.”

Powering the WESTERN POST is Mr. Tunde Rahman, who recently stepped down as Editor of the highly influential THISDAY, the Sunday Newspaper. He is the Managing Editor of the paper.

Rahman is throwing behind WESTERN POSt a journalism experience spanning well over two decades. He had started out in 1989 as Political Correspondent of Lagos Horizon, a community newspaper in Lagos. From there he moved to the old Daily Times in 1991 as Political Correspondent, covering the political parties and the electoral commission, then called the National Electoral Commission.

When the seat of Federal Government moved to Abuja on December 12, 1991, Rahman was moved to the Federal Capital Territory as the pioneer Political Correspondent of the paper. At Daily Times, he rose to become Deputy Political Editor and Political Editor.

Rahman left after nine years to join The Punch as Deputy News Editor/Assistant Editor, Abuja. He was moved to Lagos as Group News Editor in 2003 after the general elections, thus putting an end to his altogether 13 years sojourn in Abuja as a journalist.

At Punch, Rahman was the main news anchor for over a year and held the forte for the editor several times. He resigned in October 2004 to join THISDAY as Deputy Editor, the Sunday Newspaper, during which he pioneered the political arm of the paper called CICERO.

He was later moved to the daily newspaper as Deputy Editor before being promoted Editor, The Saturday Newspaper and later, Editor, THISDAY on Sunday.

Rahman holds a B.SC in Political Science, a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and a Masters in Communication Studies. He has also attended courses at the Lagos Business School.

He is widely travelled and has attended many conferences at home and abroad. In 2008, he chaired a forum of African-Indian Editors in New Delhi, India and was at the World Media Forum in 2009 in China.

He is married to Hauwa and they both have three children.

•Photo shows Tunde Rahman.

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