Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said he appreciated the confidence reposed in him by Nigerians from different walks of life, assuring that “I won’t disappoint.”
The president, according to a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, made the pledge in the State House while being decorated as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) by the Board of Trustees of this prime media awards organisation in the country.
Adesina said the president described the investiture as “a timely honour,” pointing out that he had known a good number of members of the NMMA board, “since the time I didn’t even know I would be here.”
According to the statement, the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Vincent Maduka, who led the delegation, said Buhari was qualified to be the board’s grand patron, “because you respect the rights of the media to practice, without any hindrance.”
The statement noted that since Buhari came to power, no media house has been shut, while the first ever campus television licence was awarded to the University of Lagos, under the chairmanship of veteran Mass Communication teacher, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye.
It also said Maduka recalled that the NMMA was established in 1990, to promote excellence in the Nigerian media, and had so far hosted 26 grand award presentations, with the latest conducted just a week ago.
“Part of the goals of NMMA, he added, was the promotion of patriotism, and unity of the country,” the statement added.
