NUJ PRESS WEEK 2016: A'IBOM LEGISLATOR TO SPONSOR AWARD CATEGORY

A'IBOM NUJ CHAIRMAN PATRICK ALBERT (l) WITH AKHA MEMBER ELDER ANIEKAN UKO (R)

Ahead of the 2016 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Akwa Ibom State Council  where practicing journalists  will be afforded opportunity to vie for, Editor of the year, Newspaper of the year, Feature Writer of the year, Sports Writer of the year, Reporter of the year and Legislative Reporter of the year.

Other areas of award are: Broadcast Station of the Year (Radio), Broadcast Station of the year (TV), Columnist of the year and Crime/Investigative Reporter of the Year, the immediate past Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House Of Assembly and Member Representing Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency, Rt. Hon Aniekan Uko has volunteered to sponsor two awards - an award to immortalise the ace sports reporter and commentator, Late Mr. Billy Bassey Ekot and the Online Reporter of the Year award, 2016.

Speaking when the 2016 Press Week Planning Committee called on him at his residence, the immediate past Speaker, who lauded the media in the state for the existing camaraderie, likened the late Billy Bassey to Ernest Okonkwo of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

Rt Hon Uko, recalled that the late Ekot was a wordsmith. According to him: “the AKBC sports writer and commentator was fluent, eloquent and sound”.

He referred to the late AKBC staff as a man with impeccable wit, who was blessed with excellent oratory skills and abundance of apt metaphors, euphemisms and adjectives which he usually employed with monotonous regularity in describing events.

Earlier, the Chairman, 2016 Press Week Planning Committee for the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council, Elder Comrade Edet Okpo who led his members for the visit, informed the member that the event was a yearly ritual which for this year was arranged to last between 5th and 9th December with the theme: Akwa Ibom Media and the challenge of development journalism.

Elder Okpo observed that the theme selected for the this year’s events suggested the dogged determination and preparedness of the committee to give a new direction and give a template for members of the fourth estate of the realm to support Akwa Ibom State and indeed their leaders in good light to the global community.

He said the committee’s resolve to deliver was ignited by the fact that Elder Patrick Albert’s leadership was refreshingly committed to improving media relations in line with government and public expectations which had zero tolerance to quackery, junk and yellow journalism.

He said the week-long activity would feature seminar/workshops on media related issues, inspection of government projects across the state, football competition between Female Journalists (NAWOJ) and Female Lawyers (FIDA) in Akwa Ibom State, visit to orphanages, Road Walk/Media Examination, Award/Dinner Night and Thanksgiving Service.

The committee’s chairman who listed the areas of awards to include Editor of the year, Newspaper of the year, Feature Writer of the year, Sports Writer of the year, Reporter of the year and Legislative Reporter of the year.

Other areas of award, he said were: Broadcast Station of the Year (Radio), Broadcast Station of the year (TV), Columnist of the year and Crime/Investigative Reporter of the Year. He used the occasion to call on the member, elevant and strategic media stakeholder, public spirited individual and prominent Nigerian, take delight in choosing an area which he would sponsor an award for a deserving journalist.