By Chimezie Godfrey
Newsdiaryonline has won the Online Newspaper of the year, 2021 Award.
The award was conferred on the newspaper during the NEPTUNE Prime Awards Ceremony and Book Launch for Lami Fatima Babare Cervical Cancer Foundation (LFBCCAF) on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to a letter signed earlier by Tijjani Tumsah, the Board Chairman of NEPTUNE Network Nigeria Ltd, Publishers of NEPTUNE Online Newspaper and Magazine, the Organizing Committee unanimously agreed that Newsdiaryonline since its inception in 2009 has kept Nigerians and the International Community informed with exclusive and accurate political and business news.
The Committee said, Newsdiaryonline has been known for always publishing credible, fair, balanced and well researched stories which are advancing the cause of democracy, good governance, justice, and freedom in the country.
The Letter addressed to Danlami Nmodu, mni, the Publisher/Editor in Chief newsdiaryonline eads in part:”On behalf of the Board of Neptune Network Nigeria Limited, publishers and owners of Neptune Prime online newspaper, Neptune Prime Magazine and Neptune Prime TV, I wish to inform you that after a series of research, consultations, meetings and debates by our Organising Committee, the results of which were ratified by the Board, you have been chosen as the recipient of our maiden Award of Excellence as Online news website of the Year 2021.
“The organising committee agrees that since its inception in 2009, Newsdiaryonline.com has kept Nigerians and the international community informed with exclusive and accurate political and business news. Advancing the cause of democracy, good governance, justice, freedom and the people’s well-being at all times have been your guiding rule.
“Your penchant for always going behind the scenes to investigate issues in order to publish credible, fair, balanced and well researched stories makes you stand out are a credible online medium. It is against this backdrop that you are selected for the award.
“As a part of the program for this event and nomination for the award, you are invited to attend our maiden award event scheduled to hold in March 2022, where two volumes of the collection of articles of the publisher, Dr Hassan Gimba, titled: The Arbiter”, will be launched, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Lami Fatima Babare Cervical Cancer Awareness Foundation founded by him.
The Award was presented to Nmodu by Amina Alhassan of NEPTUNE Prime
In his response, after receiving the award, Nmodu, who thanked God for the honour, said recognition described it as “an inspiration, in recognition of what we have been doing.We thank God for this. But we are further inspired to do more.It is not an award for me personally, it’s an award for the entire team and the board of Newsdiaryonline including you.
“It just means that we should take ourselves even more seriously and work harder. People are taking note of what we are doing.We thank God for this, we give glory to God,” he said.
Similarly, the Leadership Newspaper was honoured with the award of Excellence for Newspaper of the year, while a posthumous award of Excellence for Journalism Development was awarded to Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuf, and Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah, the late Publisher of Leadership Newspaper.
The First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari was honoured with the award of Excellence for Girl-Child Education Advocate of the Year.
Other awardees include;Public sector Regulator of the Year, won by NCC; Award of Excellence for Governor of the year to Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno state, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state, Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Femi Gbajabiamila received Award of Excellence for Lawmaker of the Year, among many others.
Earlier, the Book for Lami Fatima Babare Cervical Cancer Foundation (LFBCCAF) was launched, as part of to raise cancer awareness among Nigerians, especially women across the country.
The LFBCCF is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Hassan Gimba and duly registered with the corporate affairs commission in 2020, named after his wife , Hajiya Lami Fatima Babare who died in 2018 due to complications caused by cervical cancer.
The Foundation is to assist women, their families, communities, and caregivers battle the personal issues related to cervical cancer by developing and implementing practcal and appropriate programs, and by partnering with like-minded governments, organisations, and individuals to achieve health outcomes that reduce marginalization and contribute to developing stronger communities.
The books The Arbiter volume one and two were reviewed by Malam Suleiman Uba Gaya former Deputy President ,Nigerian Guild of Editors,NGE.
The Guest speaker an International Development Consultant, Dr. Tikau Adamu stressed the need for rural mobilizers against cancer to be aware of certain impediments to their tasks, adding that the existence of the herbal medicine is one of such.
He lamented the fact that most persons affected by the disease go to the hospital as a last resort, often too late since the disease has ineluctably reached finality.
He noted that so far modern medicine has achieved much in prolonging the lives of cancer patients, adding that chemotherapy and drugs are the main means at the disposal of doctors.
Adamu stressed that grassroot mobilization against cancer will succeed if people have trust in government.
“Finally , mobilizers must be aware of another factor. This factor is trust in government. Grassroot mobilization succeeds most if people do trust and are endeared to government because of the past fulfilled promises
“Today infant mortality rate in Nigeria surges and ebbs in lockstep with the seasons.Urban cemeteries feature expansion in the number of infant graves in the rainy season due to mosquitoes. If government maintains obvious solicitude for the people, popular trust will be there.
“If for example the authorities consistently fumigate urban centres, the rampant infant mortality due malaria would drastically ebb. Consequently, other health campaigs by government, including anti-cancer will be more widely accepted,” he said.
Adamu stressed that winning public trust by government is golden, if popular mobilization for or against anything, including cancer is to succeed.
He therefore said that a firm grasp of the relationship between herbal medicines and the grassroots is an essential tool for anti-cancer social mobilization.
