Background An award for hard work in every sphere of society is something that is welcomed by all and sundry as it helps to boost the morale of hard workers. But that is for genuine beneficiaries as most of the awards these days don’t actually follow the right procedure as a result it goes to the wrong people. Of course, there are so many genuine award-giving organiza- tions that do diligent work and research of the nominees most of the time without the nominees knowing that he or she was nominated.

But these days, the case is dif- ferent as most of the award-giving organizations now ask for people to vote for the nominees thereby making the thing less attractive because in the process of voting, the best candidate may be edged out. That is the reality on the ground now as the organisers also use the opportunity to raise some funds for themselves.

Here in Bayelsa State one is known as Bayelsa Media Award by Sqilful Konseptz initiated by Victor Binawari, a renowned journalist. It has run for about ten years now with this reporter winning the best reporter of the year sometime in 2015.

But the intriguing part of winning that time was that the re- porter didn’t even know that she was nominated. So people just did it genuinely without appealing for people to vote for them. And the award then was supported by the association of Nigerian authors Bayelsa State chapter and it came with twenty thousand naira. It was handed over to one of the media col- leagues in the state by the then Commissioner for Information Jonathan Obuebite.

“I couldn’t collect the award personally be- cause I didn’t even know that I was nominated talk more of being there to receive it. That was how interesting it was then but this time, one has to ask for votes.” Anyways, that is the present reality and the people get to live with it. And the BMA had this year’s award-giving ceremony held recently in Yenagoa and this time around, the award was extended to even none journalists and one of them was honoured with the most media personality of the year.

The mode of selection is still unknown but the chief press sec- retary to the Bayelsa State Gover- nor Douye Diri, Daniel Alabrah was honoured with about 29 more awards which were received by other personalities. Among others who received honorary awards was, HRM. King Bubaraye Dakolo, Apostle David Zilly Aggreh, Senior Pastor, Royal House of Grace, Chief Robert Ayalla, Preye Abaye Leghemo, Dr Michael Amaegberi, Secretary, Bayelsa State Higher Education Student Loan Board, Mrs Ebidenyefa Tarila-Ni- kade PhD and Mrs Thelma Ibegu.

Alabrah profile

Alabrah, who received the most outstanding media per- sonality of the year, was born in Lagos, Nigeria and he is a native of Agbere Town in Sagbama Lo- cal Government Area of Bayelsa State. After his primary education at Ajeromi Central School II (now State Primary School), Ajegunle in Lagos, Alabrah attended Awori Ajeromi Grammar School, Agboju, also in Lagos, before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he obtained the Bachelor of Science degree in Political and Administrative Studies.

Alabrah is also an alumnus of the International School of Communication in Dubai. As a youth, Alabrah was a footballer, who represented and won laurels for Nigeria in Denmark, Southampton and Scotland in 1982 and 1983. That was when the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) provided the breeding ground for the discovery of tal- ents that later formed the nucleus of the country’s national youth teams.

Despite his love for football, Alabrah still concentrated on his studies as he passed the West African School Certificate Examination, as they say, with flying colours. Like his secondary school days, he combined academics with soccer at the University of Port Harcourt where he equally excelled and was also captain of his university team. After a che- quered professional football career in Nigeria, Alabrah started out in journalism in the year 2000 at a community newspaper as a Reporter cum Proof Reader.

By the time he left three years later, he had risen to the position of Editor of the weekend title. Alabrah’s desire to express his editing and writing potential on a higher level saw him move to In- dependent Newspapers Limited (publishers of Daily, Saturday and Sunday Independent titles) in November 2003 as Production Editor. His career, however, took a positive and fundamental turn when he was appointed Niger Delta Editor of the paper in April 2004, and later stepped higher to occupy other positions as News Editor of the Saturday and Sunday Independent titles as well as Regional Editor during his five- year stint in the organisation.

On May 1, 2008, Alabrah joined The Sun Publishing Limited, publishers of the Daily Sun, Saturday Sun and Sunday Sun newspapers, as News Editor (Sunday Sun). Less than a year later in March 2009, he became Acting Deputy Editor of the Sunday title and the substantive Deputy Editor by December 2009. Alabrah, a recipient of several professional and humanitarian awards, is a widely travelled journalist, who had covered conferences in Europe as well as the United States.

In January 2011, he was the only Nigerian journalist invited by the Dutch Parliament to present a paper on “Shell’s Cor- porate Social Responsibility and Niger Delta Communities” to its Economic Affairs Committee as well as cover the parliament’s public hearing on the multinational firm’s oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta. In June 2012, Alabrah was ap- pointed Head of Media and Communication of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Abuja, a position he held until September 2015 when he resigned to pursue other interests.

By June 2017, Alabrah returned to public service when he was appointed Special Adviser on Public Affairs by the former Governor of Bayelsa State, now Sena- tor Seriake Dickson. At the end of that administration, Alabrah was in February 2020 again invited to serve the state in the capacity of Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, a position he occupies till date.

Alabrah is a thoroughbred media professional who strongly up- holds the tenets and ethics of the profession. His interests include football, reading, travelling and Scrabble games. He is currently chairman of the Bayelsa State Scrabble Association. He is happily married to one wife and they are blessed with three outstanding children.

Dedicates award to Gov Diri

Reacting to the award, Alabrah dedicated the award of outstanding media personality conferred on him at the recent 10th edition of the Bayelsa Media Awards to his boss, Governor Diri. He said, “Governor Diri has provided me with the platform to express my professionalism on the job, which in turn paved the way for the recognition and honour.

Governor Diri appreci- ates the role of the media in not only promoting the ideals of good governance that his administration represents but that the media also contributes significantly to the development of the society. “Governor Diri is a lover of the media and one who encourages a free press.

He recognises the media that is the press, as the Fourth Estate of the Realm that has a fundamental constitutional role in the socio-political and economic development of our society. “So, in Bayelsa, media practitioners are not hounded nor gagged.

For him, journalists as responsible professionals should uphold the principles of objectivity, fairness and balance if they understand their constitutionally-defined role.”

King Dakolo Speaks

Speaking at the event on the topic ‘Dissecting the role of media in the political and economic trajectory of Bayelsa State,’ His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, the Ibenanowei Ekpetiama Kingdom, stated that the Bayelsa media is saddled with the responsibility to tell the Bayelsa story rather than let outsiders project a false image about the state as he said that will be detrimental to Bayelsans generally.

Dakolo enjoined media practitioners to harmonize, as they possess the barometer to determine the political and economic atmosphere of the state, for the betterment of the people, especially as the November 11 gubernatorial election draws closer.

Binawari too

The project manager of the brand, Victor Binawari, in his remarks, stated that he was priv- ileged to be part of those championing the annual event, which brings a beautiful yearly feeling amongst those occupying the media space of Bayelsa.

He said, “BMA has contributed to changing the face of the media space in the state, encoura ing healthy competition amongst media organisations and serving as an annual prompting to media organizations that they need to be professional in their efforts.”

Binawari further pointed out that, the past 10 years for the BMA has been a decade of integrity, consistency and excellence, insisting that BMA, with speed is achieving its aim of promoting and selling Bayelsa in a positive light to the wider world.

Conclusion

Giving of awards whether geuine ones or money-making ones has come to stay in Nigeria but in all, the awards should go to deserving people.

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