Another look at the Nigerian Media Merit Awards

By Yemi Olakitan,

Published in the Guardian Newspapers of Monday, December 07, 2009   

ALTHOUGH the hospitality rendered by the Enugu State Government during the recently held Nigerian Media Merit Awards, NMMA should be commended. However, one cannot ignore the seemingly uncoordinated reception given to members of the media.

Firstly, it was not impressive to weave such an event around the personality of the State Governor, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime whose absence almost disrupted the event held at the Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu. Similarly, State Government officials should make adequate preparations for such events in the future and ensure that there is always a plan-B.

According to Mr.Yemi Akeju, Managing Director, Ideas Communications, it was important to look retrospectively at the annual event and restrategize. This, according to him, will lead to a better NMMA for all. It is therefore, very crucial to look at the event with a view to learning from it.

Governor Chime was scheduled to attend the NMMA awards and to "preside" over the opening ceremony.

As reported, pleas by the state officials that the deputy governor, Chief Sunday Onyebushi or some other officials be allowed to represent Governor Chime was reportedly turned down by the organizers, who insisted that only the governor could preside over the ceremony.

Scheduled to commence by 6pm, it was delayed till 1O.15pm as organizers waited endlessly for the Governor to arrive. The event later kicked off without the Governor: the opening ceremony was skipped, while some of the guests left; guests waited till about 2 a.m. and witnessed a rushed ceremony.

There were conflicting reports on the state of health of the Governor as many said he could not attend because of his health. There were also unconfirmed reports that he was poisoned at another event. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it was clear that the state government did not plan a flawless event.

Aside the absence of the governor, signs of improper planning started showing on Friday when journalists were taken round the state to have a first hand coverage of the State Government's various projects.

This exercise was cut short when it was discovered that officials at some of the places visited were not aware that such visitors were coming. At one of the venues, journalists were barred from taken pictures. The angry journalists eventually demanded to be taken back to their hotel rooms, as it was apparent that the state government did not inform most of the officials at the designated projects sites about the tour. They were able to visit only a handful of places as against the usual practice.

However, some other parts of the programme went on smoothly. Highlights were Chairman NMMA board of trustees who was also the Chairman of the Nigerian Press council, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, who spoke extensively at the event. He said the aim of the Nigerian Media Merit Awards is to promote excellence in the media and foster unity in the society at large.

Alhaji Odunewu added that despite odds, the organization had successfully sustained the award since its inception. He recalled that the first 10 editions were held in Lagos where there was a large concentration of the media, but that at the investiture of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as Grand Patron of NMMA, he (Obasanjo) suggested that the event should rotate to different states of the federation. Odunewu said Enugu was chosen because of its position as the former capital city of Eastern zone.

Winners of the 19th edition of the award were The Guardian Newspapers, which bagged the Newspaper of the Year as its editor, Debo Adesina, won the Editor of the Year, just as The Punch Newspaper won the prize in Editorial writing.

There were 47 awards in all, 35 in print, six in radio and six in television media. Some of the winners were Olushola Fabiyi who won the Abubakar Imam Prize for Features Writer of the Year; Lateef Ololade of Punch Newspapers, the Olu Aboderin Prize for Entertainment Reporter of the year; Lukman Ajisegiri of Tell Magazine News-Photographer of the year. The UBA prize for Money Market Reporting went to Salife Adejoko of National Life Newspapers; Louis Odion of National Life, the Columnist of the Year award.

The NMMA Chairman congratulated the Awardees and reminded them of one of their roles as the conscience of the nation and leaders and promoters of democracy. He stressed that the media should work to ensure that the election of 2010, move the country forward.

_Chairman of Award Nominating Panel and former Minister of Information, prince Tony Momoh said the panel received 695 entries for the 47 categories of awards for the print, radio and television. He said entries were assessed by 24 subcommittee members before the final recommendations to the board of trustees, and stressed that the board of trustees has the final say on who wins.

Momoh lamented the falling standard of journalism, which he attributed to a drift of experienced professionals. These journalists, he noted like to move to Public Relations, corporate affairs as soon as they make name.

This year, the media sector in Africa celebrates 50 years of television broadcasting in Nigeria while Channels Television took the Television Station of the Year award. Most of the award winners went home with computer laptops, cash prizes, and a book-- Democracy Watch-- written by former Minister of Information and Culture, Prince Tony Momoh.

The NMMA was inaugurated in December 1990 to celebrate and reward media excellence. The Enugu edition was the 19th edition. The NMMA have been hosted by numerous state Governments in the past. Some of them are Kwara state,Osun state, Bauchi state, Rivers state, Kano state and the federal capital territory.