Delta Information Commissioner Receives Smart Ambassador Award

By Kenneth Orusi, The Nigerian Voice, Asaba

As Deltans prepares to mark the 26 years of the creation of the state, the Commissioner of Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, has been honoured by the leadership and members of the Indigenous Correspondents’ Chapel (ICC), of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council with the Smart Ambassador Award.

The award which came to the Commissioner as a surprise came on the backdrop of his enormous contribution and dissemination of the Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa’s SMART Agenda and the ‘Prosperity for all Delta matrix which Ukah has effectively managed.

Speaking after he received the award, the erudite spokesperson of the state government said he received the award on the ground that the awardees are seen as a representation of what he termed as the ‘local content’.

Hear him: “the local content is the custodian of the real stories. Local content because we live in our communities, you feel us and you are one of us. So, I believe so much in the indigenous chapel in the sense that you feel what I feel and you see what I see”.

He said for the group to recognize for the award, the ICC must have observed the steady development in the state under the Okowa-led administration, “that is one of the reasons I proudly receive this award”.

“After two years, I think it is time that even the Agama Lizard that is not praised can also bend down and praised himself but this time, I am not praising myself and the government is not praising itself. It you that is saying it because you recognized the work of the government and after two years, it is the right time for people to say we have done enough for people to be excessed.

He noted that the ICC is fearlessly and very critical, “for those people to be part of the group that gave this award, I am proud to be a recipient of this award. This means you criticize where you have to criticize without fear or favour”.

He acknowledged that constructive criticism which has emanated from the group in terms of their critical writing has kept the government of the day strong and focus, appealing that reporters to give the government the opportunity to hear her side and give what the truth is before going to press, “we respond to the public on our social media handle we respond and we are very prompt”.

Mr Ukah took the avenue to appreciate his team whom ICC acknowledged for effective dissemination of information to journalists across the state, “the acknowledgement you gave to my team also made me happy. That implies that you are watching”.

He also seized the opportunity to inform parents/guardians that schools would resumed on 11th September, 2017.

He assured the group that he would do his best in supporting the aspiration and programmes of the group.

Earlier, Chairman of ICC, Comrade Barth Inneh Ozah, has tasked the Commissioner for improvement in his relationship with media practitioners in the state, revealed that the Commissioner was considered worthy as the recipient of the inaugural official award of recognition as SMART Ambassador of the year 2017, for his commitment and sterling administrative leadership style.

Comrade Ozah added that the award was also in recognition of the untiring effort of the Commissioner in propagating the SMART agenda of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration for the purpose of ensuring prosperity for all Deltans.

He appealed to the Commissioner for his support to enable the Chapel to discharge its functions effectively through the provision of basic working tools that would complement its efforts in the practice of information dissemination, even as he intimated the Commissioner of the chapel’s week scheduled for the month of August, 2017.

In his remark, the functioning Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Paul, Osahor, commended the Chapel for the award given to the Commissioner, saying that it was a good gesture and a call to duty while urging ICC to always strive to give accurate and balance report about government.

Present at the ceremony were the Director of Administration, Mr. Frank Akpoku, Director of research and Statistics, Mr. Kingsley Olomukoro, Director, Government printer, Mr. Omokri Lucky among others.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of the award by the Chairman of the Indigenous Correspondents Chapel to the Commissioner.