Israel Umoh
Two excellence awards worth N1 million have been instituted in honour of the late Nelson Etukudo and Ibanga Isine for journalists in Nigeria’s 21st state, Akwa Ibom.
The awards are Nelson Etukudo Prize for Most Outstanding Print publication in Akwa Ibom and Ibanga Isine Prize for Impact Reporting to be conferred on the winners every year.
Etukudo was the pioneer editor of Nigerian Chronicle and Head of Department, Mass Communications, The Polytechnic, Calabar in Cross River State while Isine is a CNN award winner and currently the Managing Director, Next Edition newspapers.
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The sponsors of Etukudo’s award worth N500,000 are Mr. Utibe Ukim, the Managing Director of XL FM Radio, Uyo and Moffat Ekoriko, the Publisher of the London-based NewsAfrica while Ukim is the sole sponsor of Isine’s award worth N500,000.
This is as Mr. Udom Inoyo, a retired Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil, had also instituted a yearly Ray Ekpu Investigative Journalism for journalists in Akwa Ibom. So far, the award has been won for two consecutive years.
Speaking with Straightnews newspapers on Saturday, Ukim said ‘‘It is in recognition of the contributions that Nelson Etukudo made to Journalism practice and to Journalism education. The cost is N500,000 for every year. The category is for the Most Outstanding Print publication in Akwa Ibom.’’
‘‘The second award is Ibanga Isine Prize for Impact Reporting sponsored by me,’’ stating that ‘‘It is instituted for journalists who write stories that help to advance the interest of Akwa Ibom, help the gatekeeper and bring facts to the table so that we can take collective decision, write stories that have value.’’
According to him, ‘‘The reason I have to do this for Ibanga is based on the story on the cost of cattle in the south. He travelled from the North to the South at the back of a trailer for days just to know what the people who sell and bring cows to the South do not know. He dressed like one of them. And he saw all the checkpoints and how much they were paying. He was curious because he wanted to know why herd of cattle were cheap in the North but were very expensive in the South. He did the investigation.
‘‘He found all the things that were added to the costs which we pay for a cow down South. This was a major story and when the story came out I told him that I would do something in honour of diligence and commitment to Journalism that saves a common good. Because of the story that led to the dismantling of many roadblocks, the cost of buying a cow drastically came down in the south- Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. I am hungry and passionate about people who are ready to write for the improvement of the society,’’ he explained.
‘‘He counted all the ATM points on the road, named and shamed the security agencies involved. That story helped curtail extortion and thereby reduced the cost of livestock down South,’’ the Chief Executive Officer of XL Communications Limited noted.
Recall that during official opening of the 2022 Press Week, Ukim while presenting a paper entitled: Journalism in The Season of Change, said ‘‘Indeed, journalism produced for us great role models of change agents to follow: Nelson Etukudo who as editor of The Nigerian Chronicle took side with facts and reported the truth about the casualties from a police shooting exercise in Northern Cross River.
‘‘He refused all entreaties to drop the investigative series. He was hounded by the state police command, charged to court, fired from his job but he stood for the truth. The magistrate handling the case resigned in protest against the pressure on him to jail an innocent man.
The Associate Editor of Lagos-based Newswatch magazine hailed ‘‘We have another example in Ray Ekpu who you can say is the father of militant journalism. As features editor of The Nigerian Chronicle at the time, he went to Ibeno to see how the natives were faring in the face of oil exploration and returned to write a heart-rending story of the squalor in the midst of wealth.
‘‘A day after the story was published, he returned to Ibeno, and with his personal funds, mobilised the young men to protest the injustice, giving them a voice with his reports until something was done. Ray went on to become one of the most recognised – and jailed – journalists in Africa, refusing the gains of short-term fame and money for the good of his society.’’
The soft-spoken journalist recounted ‘‘You should remember Nsikak Essien, the Electrical Engineer who edited Business and National Concord newspapers and built them into the preferred daily read in Nigeria; ever ready to speak the truth to power not minding the cost; a man whose conscience was never on sale and was brutally unwilling to trade it for anything throughout his illustrious career. He served in the times of the soldiers.
‘‘We know Ibanga Isine, CNN and Wole Soyinka Reporter of the Year, who has written great and impactful stories that have shaken the status quo in Nigeria and Africa.’’
‘‘Something about all four, he pointed out, is that they were curious, probed, asked questions and never believed anything until all sides of the issue were uncovered and presented. None was politically exposed. Neither were they inspired by filthy lucre. They were hard working and did not believe that press releases and statements by officers presented the complete picture.
Nelson was on the run but took that insatiable quest for facts and truth with him. Ray went to work every day, prepared to sleep at Alagbon rather than sell his soul. Nsikak was undaunted by the uncountable threats to his life as long as his conscience was at peace.
Ibanga won the CNN award for the story challenging Dangote to admit to the killings in his plant in Gboko, Benue State in 2014. He refused monetary incentives to drop the story and carried on in spite of serious threats from the security agencies.
We are back at the time when journalism and our society require men in the mould of Nelson, Ray, Nsikak and Ibanga, to champion the next season of change with their professionalism, integrity, painstaking search for facts and the truth and passion for progress. We need journalists from Akwa Ibom who will move from the fringes to the centre court of journalism excellence so they can champion our causes,’’ Ukim added.
