The Publisher of Western Post, Tunde Rahman, has explained the rationale behind the decision to publish the weekly newspaper.
Rahman, who left his position as the Editor of ThisDay, the Sunday newspaper, said there was a void to be filled in the reportage of the old Western region, which has now been split into several states.
The newspaper, which made its debut last Sunday, according to him, will pay close attention to events in the region, which are either not published or under-reported by national newspapers.
He said this does not make the newspaper an ethnic or regional chauvinist or champion.
He explained that it is a way of ensuring that the needs of readers in the coverage area are satisfactorily met.
Rahman said: “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.”
The old Western Region now comprises Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo and Delta States.
However, the newspaper, with head office in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, will also cover Kwara and Kogi States, which has a sizeable number of Yoruba speaking people, and be circulated in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State immediately and later across the country.
Another edition, which will be the second, will hit the newsstands on Sunday (tomorrow).
Rahman has wide experience working in the media.
He has spent over 20 years in the industry.
He had started out in 1989 as Political Correspondent of Lagos Horizon Newspaper, a community newspaper then based 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 old Daily Times in Abuja.
At the Daily Times, he rose to become Deputy Political Editor and and Political Editor.
He left after nine years at the Times 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, he was the main news anchor for over a year and held the forte for the editor several times.
Rahman resigned from Punch 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.
