Winners have emerged at the Akwa Ibom State Council Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Awards 2018 held in Uyo where prizes were given out to journalists for their professional works for the year 2018.
Cletus Ukpong, an assistant editor with PREMIUM TIMES who covers Nigeria’s South-south for the newspaper, won the Major Alexander Akpabio Ukut’s Investigative Reporter/Journalist of the Year for his investigative series on the decay of public schools in Akwa Ibom State.
He received a plaque, cash, and a gift from the NUJ.
Mr. Ukpong said the Akwa Ibom State Council Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Award was so precious to him because of how the agents of the Akwa Ibom government, including fellow journalists, launched a smear campaign against him for exposing the rot in the state’s education sector.
In the words of Mr. Cletus Ukpong:
“I dedicate the award to teachers, administrators, and everyone out there, working hard to lift the standard of education in Akwa Ibom.
I have noticed the state government has made a commendable effort in rebuilding broken down schools in the state. I commend Governor Udom Emmanuel for this.
But I want to appeal to him to specifically do something about Ntiat and Mbak 1 Comprehensive Secondary School in Itu Local Government Area which has completely broken down to the extent that the community people have been working on relocating the school to a new place.
I thank the NUJ for this recognition, and my editors at PREMIUM TIMES for standing by me.”
Bassey Ibiatisuho of Planet FM, Uyo, won the Best Sports Presenter; Samuel Williamson, also of Planet FM, Uyo, won the Best Radio Presenter; and Itoro Bassey of the Propeller newspaper, won the Legislative Reporter of the Year.
