As Bazeye accepts Media Trust Award
The atmosphere at this year’s Daily Trust African of the Year Awards and dinner ceremony was hardly different from others before it. The venue, Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton hotel, in Nigeria’s capital city was the same as the three previous ones. So also is January becoming the event’s traditional month with its characteristic bright evening […]
What however stands out in this year’s event from the previous ones is that it has a different aura. There was no doubt that the organizers took things up a notch. It was devoid of the usual faces that are usually cerebrated at such an event in the country-the socialites and political bigwigs. The big names in the government and private sector were absent.
It however brought together the ‘who is who’ in the Nigerian judiciary apparently because the awardee, Mrs. Fatimata Salifou Bazeye is one of their own. Big names in the Nigeria’s judiciary such as the Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who chaired the ceremony and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mohammed Uwais and his wife, Maryam Uwais and many others, graced the occasion.
However, one personality that caught the attention of followers of home movies across the country at the event is one of the nation’s queens of television in the 80’s and 90’s, the amiable Ene Oloja. Oloja was the buxom beauty who starred as Zamaye in rooster Cock Crow at Dawn and later played the sister to the late MacArthur Fom (of the Nosa fame) in Behind the Clouds, both rested but timeless Nigeria Television Authority drama serials of repute.
Away from the usual crowd were also activists and authors like Kole Shettima, Country Director, Mac Arthur and Dr Otive Igbuzor, former Country Director of Action Aid International.
Also in attendance were Justices Sulaiman Galadima, J.A. Fabiyi, Olu Ayoola, Saifullahi Muntaqa Coomassie and Justice Mbuta, who is the acting President of the Court of Appeal Justice Dalhatu Adamu, Chief Judge of the FCT Justice Lawal Gummi, Grand Khadi of the FCT Justice Mohamed Shehu.
Present were ace journalists, Mr. Tom Adaba former director general of the Nigerian Television Authority; and publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu, and activist Ene Onoja.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of the award and prize money made available by the United Bank for Africa to Mrs. Fatimata Salifou Bazeye, described as one who paid a personal price, also changed the course of history in being loyal to the constitution of the Republic of Niger and rejecting proposal to amend the constitution and extend the rule of President Mahamadou Tandja.
Many applauded Bazeye’s bravery and achievements after listening to her acceptance speech and the citations rendered by professor of Political Science, Tandeka Nkiwane.
The recipient stated that she made the option of saying “not what is gratifying to others but what is or should be. In this attitude, I was governed by the philosophical thought of Kant who said ‘You should, so you can.”
The evening also brought together members of the diplomatic community, including the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Kingsley Mambolo, and his Algerian counterpart, Mr. Hater as well as members of the Nigerien community in Abuja who made it a point of being present to rejoice with one of their own who had done them proud not only at home but also in foreign lands.