WITH three awards at the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) presentation at the weekend, The Nation has again confirmed its rating.

Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye won the Alade Odunewu Prize for Columnist of the Year, with his entry: “Angels of Mercy”.

Just last week, Omatseye won the Informed Commentary Award at the 19th Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME).

Olatunji Ololade, an Assistant Editor, won the Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year, with “Harrowing tales from rape victims”. Adewale Adeoye was also nominated for the award.

Cartoonist Azeez Oniya Ozi-Sanni won the Nnamdi Azikiwe Prize for Cartoonist of the Year, with his entry “PHCN”.

Ozi-Sanni's same entry won the best Editorial Cartooning at the DAME last week.

The Nation was nominated for the Babatunde Jose Prize for Newspaper of the Year, along with Vanguard and The Punch won.

Editor of The Nation Gbenga Omotoso was nominated for the Dele Giwa Prize for the Editor of the Year.

The Guardian Editor Debo Adesina won.

TELL beat Newswatch and The News to win the WAMCO Prize for Newsmagazine of the Year.

Channels is the winner of the NBC’s Prize for Television Station of the Year.

Rhythm FM is the Radio Station of the Year.

Tell’s Fola Adekeye won the Cecil King Prize for Print Journalist of the Year, with the entry: “A covenant with darkness”.

Chukwuma Charles of Inspiration FM won the Radio Presenter of the Year, with the entry: “Sharing life issues with Chaz ‘B’”.

Tubosun Ogundare of Daily Champion is the Newspaper Features Writer of the Year; Chukwuma Muanya of The Guardian won the Agriculture Reporter of the Year; Segun Oluwagbile of Punch won the Ibrahim Shekarau Prize for Education Reporter of the Year.

Other winners are Tell’s Adekunle Yusuf (Political Reporter of the Year); The Guardian’s Debo Oladimeji (Environment); Tell’s Anayochukwu Agbo (Banking and Finance); Punch’s Adenike Poopola (Insurance) (The Nation’s Chuks Udo Okonta was a nominee); Broad Street Journal’s Muyiwa Lucas (Aviation); Tell’s Helen Eni (Business); and BSJ’s Raymond Mordi (Energy).

The ceremony was held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos amid pomp and ceremony. Comedian Tee A amused the guests. There were electrifying performances by musician Keffee and the Afrocentric Dance Crew. Jumy Fola-Alade gave a classical poetry presentation.

Among the guests were Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau; former Minister of Information and Chairman of NMMA Award Nominating Panel, Prince Tony Momoh and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who with former Lagos Attorney-General Mrs Eniola Fadayomi presented some of the awards.

Also present were former Chairman, Nigerian Press Council and Chairman, NMMA Board of Trustees, Hadj Alade Odunewu; first Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Vincent Maduka; Ambassador Segun Olusola; former President, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Dr May Nzeribe; and APCON Chairman Mr. Laolu Akinwunmi; Shekarau, who received a Special Recognition Award, said Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of human capital, but efficient leadership to harness the abundant human resources.

“We have the people. The problem is leadership. Nigeria needs credible leaders. May the Almighty God grant Nigeria the leader that will take us to the Promised Land,” Shekarau said.

Addressing reporters after the presentations, the governor praised the Court of Appeal for restoring Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s mandate.

He took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying many results declared in the 2007 elections were in the party’s favour, but were fraudulent.

The governor called for the prosecution of officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who declared the fraudulent results.

He said: “Where are those electoral officers who declared those fraudulent results? Those that are still working in INEC should be fished out and brought to book because they have made people to occupy positions that are not worthy of them by making wrong pronouncements.”

Hadj Odunewu said the media has a central role to play in ensuring credible elections next year, saying they, as well as the politicians, will be at the centre of public attention.

He warned against rigging “by fraudsters in high places”, adding that the mandate of those who truly won “must not be stolen or in any way tampered with by hungry politicians”.

The former Managing Editor of the Daily Times prayed for a tension-free 2011 where there will be stable electricity, serious approach to security of lives, especially considering the many unresolved high profile killings, and a “farewell to treasury looting”.

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