ON the night of Saturday, July 17, 2010, the Radach Memorial Centre in Tamale was alive as many young, middle-aged and retired journalists converged on the place to receive recognition for their past and current journalistic work, which has contributed immensely to the development of northern Ghana.
It was a historic night as there had never been such an event where the soldiers of journalism in northern Ghana had been duly recognised for their services and sacrifice for that part of the country.
For many years, a number of journalists who were plying their trade in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions worked like coal miners to present to the world events in these areas in a professional manner.
These were times when electricity was a scarce commodity in northern Ghana, fax machines were not common and mobile phones and Internet were non-existent, but the absence of those facilities never prevented them from carrying out their duties efficiently.
In those days, it could take the journalists several hours to travel from one place to another to get good stories due to the poor nature of roads in these three regions. Aside of that, they had to risk their lives in precarious situations to get news for the general public, be it on sports or general news.
The noble men and women who were honoured included Mr George Sydney Abugri, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, Mr Fred Osei Agyemang, Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, Mr Alhassan Imoro, Mr Issaka Goodman, Alhaji A.B. Fuseini, Mr Breda Atta-Quayson, Mr Edward Ameyibor, Mr Adam Cockra and Alhaji Haruna Alhassan.
Others were Madam Sawuratu Alhassan, Mr Abdallah Kassim, Mr Zakaria Abdul-Kadir, Mr Justice Abban, Mr Alidu Baba, Mr John Akologo Tia, Mr Ahmed Baako Alhassan, Mr Ahmed Amidu Damba, Mr Chris Alalbillah, Mr Mark Woyongo and Alhaji Haruna Atta.
Saturday night was, thus, a victory night for these gallant, industrious and unrelenting journalists who have imprinted their footsteps on the dry sands of the savannah for the young ones to follow and deepen.
At least, if for nothing at all, these journalists could derive some joy from the fact that they were not asked to wait and get their rewards in heaven, even though those rewards still await them.
Mr Imoro summed it all up when he said: “It’s a great moment, which we would forever remember. Knowing that our toils have not gone in vain gives us a great feeling”.
He expressed the hope that many other journalists who had served in northern Ghana wholeheartedly and deserved to be celebrated, would in due course be recognised and honoured accordingly.
Indeed, Saturday night was not reserved for celebration not only by the torchbearers of journalism in the north, but also to reward current practising journalists as a way of encouraging them to do more.
The head of the editorial department at the Graphic Communications Group Limited in the Northern Region, Mr Zakaria Alhassan emerged the overall best journalist for the three northern regions.
This was in acknowledgement of his long-standing and consistent professional reporting of events in the Northern and Upper East regions, which had endeared him to many readers of the Daily Graphic. He had on many occasions reported on conflict situations in a manner that left readers with no choice than to applaud him for his objectivity.
Other practising journalists whose works earned them awards were Mr Abdul-Karim Nantogma of Citi FM, who was awarded the best development journalist, Mr Edmund Gyebi of the Chronicle newspaper, who received the best investigative journalist award, Mr Samuel Adadi Akpule of the Ghana News Agency, who was awarded the best rural journalist, and Madam Bernice Agyekwena of the Advocate newspaper, who took home the best female journalist award.
The best human rights journalist award went to Mr Stephen Zouri of the Daily Guide, the best environmental journalist award was given to Mr Isaac Nongya of Metro TV, while Mr Salifu Mohammed Nurudeen received the best health reporter and the most promising young journalist awards.
Other notable awards included the best radio news editor, which went to Alhaji Sule Adam of Diamond FM in Tamale, the best features writer was Mr William N-Lanjerborr Jalulah of Chronicle, best radio news anchor award was won by Mr Emmanuel Akayeti of GBC in Bolgatanga, while the best sports journalist award went to Mr Yakubu Zambanga of Radio Justice in Tamale.
The overall best radio station for the three regions was awarded to Justice FM while the others won awards at the regional level.
Another special category of awards went to four young promising journalists of northern origin who are currently making giant strides in their areas of endeavour, but outside northern Ghana.
They are Ms Shamima Muslim of Citi FM, who is also a host of Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, award-winning investigative journalist of the New Crusading Guide, Alhaji Abubakari Marizuuk of the Bilingual Free Press and Mr Musah Yahaya Jafaru of the Daily Graphic in Accra.
Ms Muslim was honoured not only for her outstanding performance, but also in recognition of the fact that she had become a role model for young ladies in northern Ghana who are taking inspirations from her to become journalists.
“I am happy that the little that I am doing is being recognised and to the extent that it is motivating young ladies, like myself, to aspire to greater heights. I feel great joy,” Ms Muslim told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
The General Manager of Newspapers of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, who was the guest speaker for the function, had a word of advice for young journalists.
He cautioned them to be mindful of the role they had been tasked to play, stressing that journalism was a make or break affair, where a single act of irresponsibility could ruin one’s work and impact negatively on the development of the nation.
With such words of wisdom from an experienced brain, the award winners and their colleagues in the inky fraternity had no excuse to do the wrong thing, than to act in accordance with the ethics of the profession.
“For me, it is a reminder of the need to use my pen and paper to enlighten my people, foster unity and promote understanding to facilitate development,” Mr Alhassan, the overall best journalist, remarked.
By the close of the event, patrons were full of praise for the organisers, of the event, Flip Africa Media Consult – Ghana (FAMeC – Ghana), as well as the sponsors and other partners, for spearheading such a worthy course.
All who spoke to the Daily Graphic insisted that the event be sustained and staged each year. That, they noted, was the sure way of encouraging more young people to aspire to be celebrated journalists.
“I think such an event would send signals to journalists to know that their work is being monitored and so any shoddy work on their part would receive a bashing instead of honour, ”a CO-manager of Duraqua Company Limited, Mr Badu Patrick stated.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Mr Nii Otu-Ankrah, had a word of advice for the organisers: “This event has come to stay and so they need to do much to make it live up to its billing. Issues like time and reward packages need to be given priority in future events,” he stated.
In fact, it was a night of joy for both young and old journalists, and also the beginning of great things to come.
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