The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar, has called for specialised training and professionalism on social justice reporting by the media.

Speaking at the annual Campus Journalism Awards (CJA) organised by Youths Digest in Abuja, Justice Danladi said Social Justice Reporting should be encouraged at the university level.

Danladi said: "I am delighted to have a glimpse from the writings and citations on some of the winners of Campus Journalism Awards as they proffer solutions that could address corruption, electoral violence, gender inequality among others.

"I am of strong opinion that social justice reporting can be taught at the university and encouraged by the media to focus more on Legal and Civil Rights, Gender inequality and child abuse, Human trafficking and domestic violence, equity and fairness, transparency and accountability towards better-informed citizens and a prosperous nation.

The President of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mr. Mukhtar Sirajo, while commending the winners of the Campus Journalism Awards said that Journalism and Public Relations are like twin brothers who are constantly communicating and interacting with their audiences through appropriate channels.

He said the two professions shared basic principles of Truth and Accuracy, Fairness and objectivity, Humanity and Accountability in public communication.

Miss Maryam Abdullahi of Department of European Languages Uthman Danfodio University emerged the overall winner as the Campus Journalist of the Year. She was also offered automatic employment by CISLAC and an all-expense-paid-trip paid to attend an International Conference in the United States of America.

The event also witnessed awards to 15 campus journalists from various higher institutions in Nigeria and Ghana. The duo of Hajiya Aisha Ahmed Binani, a former House of Representatives member and owner of the mega Binani Printing Press, together with Chief Olusegun Otunba Runsewe, Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), were also honoured with personality of the year awards for their contributions to the development of both the private and public sectors.

… Campus Journalist of the year gets a full-expense paid trip to USA

For emerging as the ‘Campus Journalist of the Year’ at the Youths Digest annual Campus Journalism Awards (CJA), Maryam Abdullahi, a 400-level Modern, European Languages and Linguistics student at the Usman Dan-Fodio University Sokoto (UDUS), has been offered a full expense paid trip to the United States of America (USA).

The Executive-Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, made the pledge in the presence of guests at Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja, to reward Maryam for her campus journalism feat.

He said that CISLAC recognizes and reward great accomplishments especially by young prodigies, hence it would, as part of further motivating the newly-crowned Youths Digest ‘Campus Journalist of the Year’ winner, sponsored her full trip to the US to attend a UN women conference coming up soon.

Congratulating the UDUS female student, the CISLAC boss, urged her to remain dedicated, disciplined, hardworking, focused and ambitious, saying that CISLAC is proud to associate with her remarkable successes so far as an upcoming writer and journalist.

“The fact that a female student emerged as campus journalist of the year, at this event CISLAC partnered is absolutely wonderful. This goes to show that there are immense potentials in our young girls. Therefore, I urge Maryam to build on this unique and brilliant achievement by remaining focused and continue to write edifying and must-read opinion articles and news reports so as to harvest more special awards for herself. I, on behalf of CISLAC, congratulate and heartily felicitate with Maryam Abdullahi on this special occasion,” said Rafsanjani.

Speaking further, Auwal Rafsanjani, promised a cash gift of N50, 000 to Maryam, and also automatic employment offer to the final-year students who are among the 15 awardees.

Mr. Olarenwaju Oyedeji, made a power presentation of ‘Campus Journalism Dialogue’, an event to be organized by Youths Digest later in the year.

He said the dialogue, among other things, will serve as a platform to robustly mentor talented student-writers and campus journalists, while also educating them on fundamental issues such as hate speech, fake news, defamation, libelous publications, and brown envelope syndrome, among others, in contemporary journalism practice.

Olarenwaju, added that the dialogue will take place simultaneously in six tertiary institutions across the geopolitical zones, with students whose news reports, articles and literary works have been published severally on various media platforms to be selected as participants.

…. Money, gifts rain on campus journalists at award event

It all began with a call for entries, then the submission of works by over 240 student-writers and campus journalists from Nigeria and even neighboring African countries. After 30 finalists were shortlisted, 15 of them eventually carted away various awards at the 2019 edition of the Campus Journalism Awards (CJA).

The event, held at Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja, saw Abdulsalam Mahmud, a Mass Communication graduate of Fati Lami Abubakar Institute of General and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS) Minna, carts away the award for ‘Upcoming Writer,’ Ekpali Joseph, 400-Level Mass Communication at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) bagging the award for the ‘Best Feature Reporter’, Ibrahim Adeyemi of Usman Dan-Fodio University (UDUS) was conferred with the award of the ‘Best Campus Editor,’ while Emmanuel Ayamga of the Ghana Institute of Journalism coasted home with the ‘Sports Reporter’ award.

Daud Adebayo, a student of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), received the ‘Best Magazine’ award on behalf of UNILORIN Watch, just as Adejumo Kabir, an English student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) was bestowed with the ‘Photojournalist of the Year’ award, while Aondover Eric of Bayero University Kano (BUK) went home with the award for the ‘Best Author.’

Others award recipients are Alfred Olufemi of University of Ibadan (UI) who emerged as ‘Best Investigative Reporter,’ Adekola Mercy of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) Ondo State, as ‘Broadcaster of the Year,’ Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu of Bayero University (BUK) Kano as ‘Entertainment Writer,’ Oluwatobi Odeyinka of Moshood Abiola Polytechnics (MAPOLY) as ‘Best Opinion Writer,’ Fatima Abbas of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) got the ‘Social Media Influencer of the Year’ award, while Maryam Abdullahi, a student of the Usman Dan-Fodio University (UDUS) won the ‘Best Gender-Equality Reporter’ award, and then the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic’s MAPOLY Press went home with the award for the ‘Best Pen Club’.

Maryam Abdullahi also emerged as the overall ‘Campus Journalist of the Year’ at the colourful event.

The duo of Hajiya Aisha Ahmed Binani, a former House of Representatives member and owner of the mega Binani Printing Press, together with Chief Olusegun Otunba Runsewe, Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), were also honoured with personality of the year awards for their contributions to the development of both the private and public sector.

Prominent guests at the A-list event include the Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar; President of National Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo; Executive-Director, Transparency International, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani; former Director Defence Information, Gen. Chris Olukolade; Publisher of Premium Times, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi; Head of Northern Operations for The Nations newspaper, Yusuf Alli; President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comr. Bello Shagari, and Comr. Danielson Bamidele, the President National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), among others.

Otunba Runsewe donated N10,000 and fabric materials each to the student-awardees, while an award-winning investigative reporter with Premium Times, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, also pledged N5,000 each to the 15 campus journalists who bagged various awards.

Mr. Rafsanjani also announced that CISLAC would sponsor the ‘Campus Journalist of the Year’ award, Maryam Abdullahi, to a two-week female and gender development course in US, aside presenting her with N50,000 as a cash gift.

Prior to the award-presentation event, the quintet of Dr. Theophilus Abah, a senior Editor at Daily Trust newspaper; Mrs. Patyi Eneze, veteran broadcaster with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); Dr. Umar Kari, Head of Political Science Department (HOD) at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA); an Award-winning Investigative Journalist with Premium Times Abdulaziz Abdulaziz; and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Image Merchant Promotions Limited, publishers of PRNigeria, Mr. Ewache Ajefu, served as members of the distinguished panel of judges.

At a workshop organized for the 30 finalists, Abdulaziz said accuracy, clarity, originality, creativity and unique style of delivery, were the criteria used to assess all entries, and selection of the final awardees.

The other judges, while urging the shortlisted finalists to read extensively so as to polish their writing skills, also expressed amazement over the quality of their entries.

Gidado Shuaib, Editor of Youths Digest and convener of the award pointed out that the essence of organizing the CJA event is not only to reward brilliant campus writers, but to also celebrate their unique journalism exploits on campuses. (PRNigeria)

•Photo shows, L-R; PR Practitioner Yushau Shuaib, Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal , Justice Danladi Umar, Campus Journalist of the Year, Maryam Abdullahi and Gidado Y Shuaib, Editor, Youths Digest, at the 2019 Campus Journalism Award

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