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| (Left) Fr. Philip Odii UEC National Communications Secretary and Mr. Valerian Kkonde, ACCPU Secretary General |
The Association of Catholic Communication Practitioners in Uganda (ACCPU) has elected new office-bearers for one-year term.
The new office-bearers, who will serve as an ad hoc board of directors, were elected during the First Annual General Assembly of the ACCPU held at the Uganda Catholic Secretariat premises on January 28, 2015.
Mr. Simon Peter Byakatonda of Radio Sapientia Ltd, a Catholic radio owned by the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), was elected as chairperson of the association. Also elected were Ms. Caroline Cecilia Akulo who now becomes the new vice chairperson, Mr. Valerian Kkonde as the General Secretary and Mr. Joel Ssenabulya who takes over the mantle in the treasury’s docket.
The new Chairman said that he will work on strengthening ACCPU to achieve its objectives as well as uniting both catholic journalists and other organizations in the country. “I am honoured to be considered for the chairperson’s job,” he said adding that “I will work together with the other board of directors to ensure that the benefits of ACCPU have a positive effect to the wider Catholic community.”
“I believe each member of this board is committed to the success of ACCPU which will make the big job ahead of us just a bit easier,” said the new chairman.
Sr. Mary Lilly Driciru, Mr. Gerald Businge and Mr. Charles Ndawula were also appointed as members of the board, while the UEC Executive Secretary of Social Communications Department Fr Philip Odii was elected as an ex-officio member.
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| ACCPU Members raises their hands to vote |
The executive board is expected to converge for their first meeting before the end of this month to appoint other working committees for routine or special business as mandated by the general assembly.
The elections were conducted by 28 members from different media houses across the country.
ACCPU was officially launched on November 27, 2014 by the Chairman of the Social Communications Commission of Uganda Episcopal Conference, Rt. Rev. Joseph Franzelli, in the presence of the commission members and several journalists. The association has the aim of promoting unity and cooperation among Catholic communication practitioners driven by the desire to further the values of the Catholic Church, to provide members the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on church teaching and values, to advance professionalism, expertise and talents of its members, to inform with regard to building and sustaining communities in the economic, political, cultural, educational and religious spheres, to defend and protect members from forms of hardships met in the diligent course of their due practice and finally to herald the truth and its fulfillment in equality and justice.
By Jacinta W. Odongo, Media Officer, Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC)