ENCOMIUM : As NMCA Honours DIG Alabi, ACP Eburuajah , CSP Egwuonwu,SP Hundeyin, DSP Edom, Publisher News Planet International , Eze Ifekandu,Eze NjubIgbo,Others With Merit Awards 

In a colourful impressive and well attended ceremony, The National Media Community Award, NMCA, last Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, honored some Nigerians ,who have distinguished themselves in various areas of their calling.

 The event which was held at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba ,Lagos State, witnessed receipients like the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abiodun Sylvester Alabi, Chairman,Police Service Commission (PSC) Dr. Solomon Arase, Area Commander in charge of FESTAC Command, Lagos, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nwachukwu Eburuaja, Publisher Of News Planet International Newspaper and Editor-in-Chief , Supernumerary Deputy Superintendent Of Police DSP Emmanuel Edom, Editor-in-Chief  of Atlanticnewsonline, Mr. Frank Oshanugor, Eze-Ndigbo in Lagos Island, Eze Dr. Onyeka Ifekandu, Eze-Ndigbo in Lagos Mainland , His Highness ,Godwin Njubigbo, Chief Executive Officer of Fatshad Textiles, Chief (Mrs) Folashade Akinlabi, Special Investigator on Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Jim Obazee, Managing Director of Badinson Security Limited, Mr. Matthew Ibadin, Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, Benjamin Hundeyin , Divisional Police Officer,DPO, Denton Police Division,CSP Joseph  Egwuonwu, and many others, were bestowed with Merit Awards in various categories. 

The Chief Executive Officer,CEO of NMCA and Daily Pride Communications; Mr. Joshua Uloko in his welcome address ,noted that the annual award which began three years ago was initiated to recognize and reward professionals who have made remarkable impacts in their different areas of human endeavours.

Mr. Uloko explained  that the choice of NIJ, as the venue of this year’s award ceremony was informed by the fact that the Institute has remained a great centre of excellent journalism training which has produced many frontline journalists who over the years have made great contributions to the social, economic and political development of Nigeria.

Guest lecture was on the  “Roles of the media in Nigeria’s socio-political development, financial stability and security”, which was delivered by the Group Managing Director of Assetrise Limited, Mr. Rotimi Ojamamoye .

Ojamamoye, was insistent in his lecture that  no country can develop without the contributions of the media. 

According to him, in  a developing country like Nigeria, nobody can talk about the country’s security architecture and the activities of the security agencies without the media playing prominent role, stressing that it is the media which inform, educate and help to shape the society to grow.

On the economy , Ojamamoye ,noted that no country can talk about security without talking about sustainable economy that would ultimately lead to stability in that society. 

Based on his premises, he  therefore charged the media to focus more attention on what he called indigenous creativity in other to take Nigeria out of economic hardship as we currently experience.

The man, who has made name through his Yam project,stated that there would be no need for young Nigerians to engage in crime or flee the country in search of greener pastures abroad if the agricultural sector and other creative ventures are harnessed. 

“There would be no japa” he remarked.To achieve the possibility of quicker and more enduring indigenous creativity and entrepreneurship.

 The Assetrise boss , also suggested  a massive investment in education as he stressed that a society that does not plan for the future by educating the youths and creating means of sustainable economy would end up underdeveloped.

Very optimistic, Ojamamoye projected that there would be a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s economy if more attention is given to the agricultural sector.

This he assured that Nigeria can end the hunger crisis and restiveness if many Nigerians are gainfully engaged, pointing out that if the country finds it difficult to take care of its current 200 million population, it would certainly be in more crisis in future when the population would have increased and there would be more difficulty in contending with the insecurity situation. 

These he put forward to the door steps of journalists, urging them to do more in promoting local production which would create more employment and reduce insecurity.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abiodun Sylvester Alabi, who was represented by a commissioner of police at the event ,thanked the media for partnering with the police and other security agencies in fighting crime in Nigeria.

DIG Alabi, appreciated Ojamamoye on his revelation that the law enforcement agents cannot do much in fighting crime if certain conditions like unemployment which give birth to crime are not addressed.