Onwumere Wins Journalism Award In Geneva, Switzerland

By Daily Journals
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Your unswerving Writer, Poet and Consultant, Odimegwu Onwumere has won the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016 in the “International Award for Excellence in Journalism” category in far away Geneva, Switzerland.

This is coming barely two months I won the Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016 in Lagos on April 9, 2016, in the Digital Category.

I’m in-seventh-heaven!
I saw the call for entries for the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016 in February this year and submitted some of my published articles on February 13, as was prescribed by the organisers of the journalism awards in Geneva, Switzerland.

After months, a letter sent by the organisers of the awards announcing the winners on June 22 2016, read, “Dear Journalists, Media Professionals and Experts, we are happy to bring to you the names of this year’s laureates. First of all, we congratulate you all those who have participated in these awards.

The proposal for the new awards such as “International Award for Safety and Protection of Journalists” will be debated and decided at the end of this year. The congratulatory letters to them announcing the awards will be sent in the next days; the letter will give you information about the next steps.”

In the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016, there were eight categories: 1. International Award for Freedom of Expression; 2. International Award for Promoting Dialogue (Titus Brandsma Award); 3. International Photojournalism Award; 4International Award for Inter-religious Initiatives; 5. International Award for Women Issues; 6. International Award for Excellence in Journalism; 7. International Award for Solidarity with Refugees; 8. International Award for Excellence in Communication (Cardinal Foley Award).

In a congratulatory letter sent by Jean-Marie Scheerlinck on behalf of the Directing Committee, Geneva, 23 June 2016, read, Odimegwu Onwumere, Nigeria:

“Dear Odimegwu Onwumere, Congratulations! We are happy to announce that you have won International Award for Excellence in Journalism 2016. The award certificate will be sent to you in the next months... Once again, we congratulate you on your inspiring efforts and initiatives.”

I’m grateful!
My editors and publishers abroad and home, and my followers would attest to the fact that Yours Truly have been “Reporting for a better Environment” committed to urban and community life, which have spurred me into intensive creation of awareness to sensitizing the general public and pressurizing the government on the effect of bad policies to the environment and human rights as they relate to education, health, politics, human rights, child rights, environment etc.

Winning the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016 did not come to me as a surprise owing to years of dedication to writing that span over two decades and understanding the rules set by a Walter Lippmann, saying, “There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil.”

I’m so grateful that I’ve thus come this far in my chosen career as a writer. However, while journalists do not pray that there should be bad governments, but when such is inevitable, bad governance spur materials that exalt the works of journalists. There may not be journalists if the entire world is serene and in order.

I thank the organisers of the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016, my Chi, Chukwu Abiama Ndigbo for winning this award that recognised the hard work worth doing that I'm engaged in.

I would beseech fellow writers to join me in this banquet across the world. While I’m declared winner of the International Journalism and Media Awards 2016, Geneva, Swizerland, I want to say that any person of goodwill is also a winner.

Odimegwu Onwumere is a Rivers State-Nigeria based Poet, Writer and Consultant.

He has won in international and local journalism awards.

Email: [email protected]