Cllr Rosaline Ogunro in red robes as she signed in as the borough’s latest first citizen at the Town Hall

TV crews arrived from Nigeria to document the swearing in of a new mayor at the first post-election Town Hall meeting on Wednesday evening.

Cllr Rosaline Ogunro signed in as the borough’s latest first citizen, garnering much media interest from her home country where she started her career as a broadcaster.

Some 50 years ago, Cllr Ogunro had been a young radio announcer when an armed military group overran her studio and she had a gun pointed at her.

Her colleague Cllr Saiqa Pandor spoke of her bravery, recounting how the journalist had later returned to the studio and continued late into the night when other announcers were too terrified to show up.

“Rosaline walked right back into that bullet-ridden studio and stayed on air until past midnight because her country needed a voice of calm”, she said.

As Cllr Ogunro donned the red robes for the first time, council colleagues described her as a woman who “radiates strength, hope and love”.

“She is a woman who overflows with love for everyone she meets”, added Cllr Pandor.

“She is deeply rooted in her faith, her church, and her beautiful love for singing”.

Cllr Jason Jackson walking out of the chamber for final time as Islington’s mayor

Reminiscing on recent campaign efforts, Cllr Toby North, who shares the ward of St Peter’s and Canalside with the new mayor, said: “It sometimes felt like around every corner we would bump into someone who knew Rosaline and who holds her in great affection.”

He added: “Not just because she is a diligent and hard-working ward councillor, but because she shakes a leg with them at zumba, sings with them at choir, has supported them through hard times through her work at Citizens Advice, got to know them through community gardening on the Packington Estate or met them at St Luke’s Community Centre where she is a trustee.”

The mayor will spend her year raising money for two charities: St Luke’s Community Centre and Islington Boat Club.

She described how the community centre was where she first learned computing more than two decades ago, shortly after arriving in the UK, and said that it had provided a “boost” for children and elderly people through putting on intergenerational activities.

She added: “During Covid-19, the centre remained open every day. A core group of staff and residents volunteered their time to distribute food and hot cooked meals to those who were shielding because of the pandemic.”

Meanwhile, she praised the work done by Islington Boat Club, which was founded 56 years ago and provides water sports activities and training for young people with additional needs and older people who need social support.

The new mayor has been a councillor since May 2022 and has sat on various scrutiny committees.

“Becoming mayor is the honour of a lifetime, and I’m looking forward to bringing my compassion and hard-working nature to the role”, Cllr Ogunro said. Her consort will be her son, Zulu Ogunro.

Cllr Jilani Chowdhury was appointed as deputy mayor, with his wife, Nilu Chowdhury, as consort.