DAILY POST, Nigeria’s leading news portal, was on Monday announced as the Best Online Newspaper in the country.
The award, by Borno State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, was in recognition of the newspaper’s coverage of government efforts and achievements in reconstruction and rehabilitation and resettlement of victims affected by Boko Haram insurgency.
Receiving the award on behalf of the company, Deputy Editor, Wale Odunsi, who represented the Editor, Mr. Ali Adoyi, thanked NUJ Borno for the honour.
He said: “On behalf of DAILY POST Publisher, James Bamisaye, the editors, our writers, reporters and the entire team, I thank NUJ Borno for finding us deserving of this very special award.
“We are honoured and assure you that we will continue to do our best in reporting the war against insurgency, efforts of the federal and Borno governments towards defeating the Boko Haram sect, reconstruction of infrastructure as well as rehabilitation and resettlement of the people affected.
“We encourage both governments and the security agencies not to relent and we pray that God almighty will, in his infinite mercies, end this insurgency that has done incalculable damages over the years.”
Odunsi appealed to the Minister of Defence, rtd. Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, to ensure that the Nigerian military gets required equipment timely and to ensure that the issue of porous borders was made a top priority.
In his speech, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, hailed the contribution of the media in reporting security challenges in the state.
“Some people are angry that journalists and I are friends but they don’t know what we have gone through. They are the people who helped us convey our messages to the world.
“They were there when we needed them, how will I not be close to such people? Do critics expect me to do away with those who risked their lives just to report from scenes of incidents? That will not happen.
“I thank all the media houses here present and all others. You have done well and please continue to help us talk about what we are doing to make life meaningful to our people”.
In his speech, Mansur Dan-Ali, thanked journalists for their support for President Muhammadu Buhari government.
He, however, appealed against fake and sensational news, which he said could affect counter-insurgency operations.
Aside DAILY POST, other recipients in the golden category were state-owned BRTV (received by the DG, Baba Kura Abba Jato) and Vanguard Newspaper (received by Regional Editor, Soni Daniel).
In the platinum category were Federal Ministry of Defence (received by the Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali), Dangote Foundation (received by the MD/CEO, Zouera Youssoufou) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In attendance were Borno Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Senator Ali Ndume, NUJ National President, Abdulwaheed Odusile, Borno NUJ Chairman, Babasheik Haruna, federal and state lawmakers, Borno government officials, among others.
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