The Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Abuja Chapter has instituted an annual award based on verifiable indices. The maiden award which took place in Merit House Maitama was follow up to Area Councils tour by select members of NUJ to assess developments at the councils based on the set indices. One of the factors that stand the award out was that none of the area councils was told how and where the team would start their assessment.
In his welcome address at occasion, NUJ Abuja Chapter Chairman, Comrade Chuks Ehirim, informed the audience that the union embarked on the project because journalists are major stakeholders in every society. He said the award was meant to motivate the area councils to engage themselves in healthy rivalries that would hasten development in FCT.
There are two categories of the award; silver and gold. A couple of persons won the silver award while only AMAC Chairman, Hon. Micah Jiba won the gold award. He won the gold because his area council scored the highest marks from all the areas assessed by the team of journalists. Hon. Jiba was grateful to NUJ for instituting the annual award and promised to collaborate with the union to make FCT a better place for everybody in the city.
PPMC MD, Barr. Haruna Momoh won one of the awards for the best performing agency, and he was selected to give vote of thanks on behalf of awardees. He thanked NUJ for their transparency in choosing the winners, after careful scrutiny. He made some revelations about the activities of his organization. He said PPMC still import kerosene and some other petroleum products the organization markets. He said LPG is a viable product of his organization that anybody who invests into would not regret.
The GM of Love FM, Mr. Samuel Enobong Akpa, whose station was part of the Area Councils tour, told our correspondent that the award will help to reposition developmental journalism in the city. He advised media houses in the city to create FCT sections in their reportage. It will be recalled the Love FM won the best Radio Station early via two of their programmes; Brekete and Tori Wowo.
The event was highly attended by journalists and people from FCT and beyond. As at the time of going to press, Award Party was going on at NUJ Secretariat, Utako.
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