By Correspondent in Abuja
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the largest of its kind in Africa on Friday, honoured three members of its staff for outstanding performance in the discharge of their responsibility to the agency.
The Correspondent of the Reporters, an online news platform, gathered that the staff honoured,all from the Editorial department of the agency are: Miss Cecilia Ologunagba, who emerged the Best Reporter, Wale Sadiq, Best Editor and Donald Ugwu l,Best Controller for 2020.
One of them, Ologunagba, the online application further gathered, was the choice of the agency as its next correspondent in New York.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Bukii Ponle, NAN Managing-Director, commending the awardees, saying that they very well to the expectation of the agency in spite of COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the boss of the agency,the award is to promote excellence, hard work and professionalism in the agency.
Ponle,who commended the Rewards and Sanctions Committee,led by Mr Kayode Olaitan, for a job well done by being diligence in its assignment, called on other members of staff of the agency to put in their best at all times, assuring them that of the resolve of the agency to reward hard work, commitment and professionalism.
On Ologunagba’s selection, he said:
“I am happy about her choice because she is also the agency’s choice as the new correspondent to its New York office in the U.S.
“The news of her choice received a louder ovation when her name came up as our correspondent in New York.
“So, it means she has been consistent; it means with or without supervision she will perform; it means we still have stars in NAN.
“Every one of us is a star, please don’t burry your star, shine when the ovation is louder.”
Ponle urged other staff in other departments of the agency to see the exercise as a challenge to do their best in the discharge of their duty.
“They are already awake, and, I am sure that they will want to wrestle the trophy because we are celebrating success of every department.
“Success in one department is success to all; likewise, failure in one is failure to all,” he added.
The Editor-in-Chief, Mr Silas Nwoha, also commended the awardees for their hard work and dedication to duty with a call on staff to put in their best by maintaining hard work and due diligence.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Olaitan, said that the committee was thorough in the selection of the awardees.
Olaitan said that the committee used different variables to consider the best reporter, editor and controller from the 36 states and FCT.
“Reporters are scrutinised on the number of stories, quality, and, in some cases usage; meaning that a lower number of quality stories backed with multimedia contents and features can beat someone with higher number of routine stories.
One of the awardees, Ugwu, an Assistant-Editor-In-Chief, commended the management for the honour.
“I am happy for the honour and commend the agency for the award and I also encourage others to put in more efforts in carrying out their duty with diligence in the agency.
Also speaking, Ologunagba, a Chief Correspondent, thanked the agency for the honour.
She dedicated the award to the former Managing Director, the late Dame Oluremi Oyo, for her mentorship, adding that the award was a wakeup call that would spur her for greater attainment.
Another highpoint at the occasion was Cash award of N25, 000 presented to the best reporter by the managing-director.
