Ninety five Senior Media Practitioners were on Saturday honoured with money and Plaques in Bayelsa State for their contributions to the well-being of the society.
The Award giving ceremony was organized by Ovieteme George with support from Tantitta Security Services.
The veteran media practitioners mainly retired were celebrated at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa with some getting as much as Five Million Naira; for those that are up to eighty years while others smiled home with One Million Naira each.
That was however preceded by a novelty football match to celebrate them.
One of the beneficiaries, Pere Obobo, former general manager of Radio Bayelsa in her reaction thanked the organisers for the honour.
She stated:” Well, for me, it’s so amazing and it’s a surprise, because we have never had it like this. One of my colleagues was even saying, this is the first of its kind in the nation, not in Bayelsa. So, we are all very excited.”
She urged the upcoming media practitioners to work with passion adding that ” if there’s no passion, you’ll get easily frustrated. If you have passion for the job, you’ll be able to sail through no matter what.
” Don’t just come into the profession because you’re looking for means of survival. You need to have passion
and you need to study from your superiors. And if you don’t learn, you will not be able to excel.”
Also speaking, Opaka Dokubo, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Zone F commended George for his gesture and initiative maintaining that it is the first in the history of Nigeria that this kind of thing will be happening.
” I can tell you for free this is quite exciting. I’m very elated. I am indeed very pleased and indeed
proud today to be a journalist, especially one practicing within the South-South region.
” We are so happy that it is happening. At a time when even practicing journalists are scarcely appreciated, scarcely recognized, we are finding something especially one of us, working too hard to appreciate, to recognize and indeed to celebrate
those who are our own mentors, those who formed us.
“We are where we are today because
they were. Because of what they did, we can stand today to proudly say we are journalists.And so we want to thank Ovieteme George for this effort. It is massive.
” This has not happened anywhere in this country, to this magnitude, drawing out more than 100 journalists who had retired, who probably had been forgotten, taking them out and appreciating their
work to this extent of one person at least going home with one million Naira.
“I mean, it is massive and it is beyond what anybody can really, really take in. But we want to appreciate him and indeed also extend appreciation to Tantita Security Services. Indeed, they have been there for journalists at every level.So we want to appreciate them and also to ask that if this is worth doing, then we will expect
that states across the country should borrow a leaf from what is happening here.
“We are the ones who do so much for this country and yet a lot of us very often say what we do is a thankless job. Today we have found out that nobody could have done it for us. One of us rising up to the occasion to actually tell us that journalism
could be rewarding.
“Journalism could also be one that is not taken for granted. Thank you for making journalists proud today all over this country. Thank you George and thank you Bayelsa State council for this that is happening here today” He narrated
Daisy Jaja, representative of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited,
disclosed that journalists are very important in the society the reason why Tantitta decided to support the vision of George.
She continued:” we know how important journalism is when it comes to having a voice for the voiceless, giving people an opinion and making sure that news gets to where it’s supposed to get to.
” It means so much for the society and we just want to tell them thank you, because we know that no matter how much they were paid during their time of service, it can never be enough to say thank you for their service, taking personal risk, making sure that proper research is done so that people can get what they’re supposed to get adequately.
“It’s also a message to them to tell them also thank you, and also find a way to pass the baton to the younger generation, so that the codes and ethics of journalism is kept to the highest standard.”
Speaking on the motive behind that, Ovieteme George, the vision bearer, thanked Tantitta Security Services for her financial support maintaining that this was his own way of giving back to the society.
He maintained that “one million naira may be little, but it can ugo a
long way, looking at the harsh economic realities in Nigeria today.
And then five million to our fathers.
” I am always available for service. And I believe God has not
even started with me and my wife.
Our ministry is affecting people and society positively. They will have reason to want to live. And God, who is the source of our income, will always provide.
He thanked High Chief Kirsten Pondei, Managing Director, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, and the GOC, General Officer Commanding, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo adding that they’ve helped him a lot.
Some veterans that were honoured are Austin Bodo, Loveday Herbert, Izontimi Otua, Alfred Egbegi, Eugine Spiff, Chris Odi, Professor Welson Ekiyor, Lilian Erefagha among many others.
