24/11/2024
BEING TEXT OF WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY DR CHUMA-ODILI HARRIS UDOKAMMA, FCMsp, THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF DIGITAL MEDIA CORE ADVOCATES, ADMCA, AT THE 6TH ANAMBRA MEDIA EXCELLENCE AWARDS, AMEA 2024, HELD AT COSMILA HOTEL, AWKA ON NOVEMBER 22, 2024.
Welcome and Good Evening Everyone!
All Protocols observed!!
With profound joy in my heart, I sincerely welcome you to this great event. It is a joyful thing for us at the Association of Digital Media Core Advocates, ADMCA, because for 6 years, we have relentlessly grown this event to become the longest-running media recognition platform in the South East of Nigeria.
And over these years, we have used the platform to canvass for an ethical digital media space; and this is paying off, considering the feedback we have been getting from followers.
We are spurred to do more in this regards, because the media, ideally is instrumental to the growth of any society, more so, when it is used for positive rather than destructive tendencies.
Like we have restated at various media settings, information in the digital age has become a weapon, but its impact is dependent on how it is deployed. If it is deployed for good, it rubs off positively on the society. However, if it's deployed wrongly, it could exacerbate situations, leading to chaos and bloodshed.
The genocide in Rwanda is a stark reminder of what propaganda and hate speech orchestrated by mismanagement of information could cause. I do not need to remind us all that unfortunate incident of 1994 remains ‘a scar on modern human history’.
We cannot afford to let anything near this happen again!
This is why we at ADMCA, have consistently been preaching caution and ethics in the use of media, especially digital media, whose speed and rate of passage are supersonic.
Year-in, year-out, we sieve activities in the media landscape to honour and recognise those whose activities have festered peace and progress in our society. It is an arduous task that must be done, hence we are doing it.
Once again we wish to call on all digital information creators to always crosscheck their information before sharing. For every post you intend to make, whether as news content on a blog, social media page, podcast or traditional media platforms, candidly perform these checks:
1. Authority: What platform or source is the information from? Can the source be trusted based on their antecedents? Is the source known for biases and pursuing parochial interests?
2. Accuracy: How accurate is the information? This can be determined by simple checks for errors and typos in the copy.
3. Timelines: Check the date to know when this incident happened. Confirm if the post is recent or re-hashed to discredit some persons or the government as the case may be.
4. Fact-checking: If you must post that information, do run proper checks by using fact-checking tools online that can help confirm the information, be it video, news or photos.
With these steps, we can collectively reduce fake news, misinformation and sundry digital media vices in our society.
In furtherance of our efforts in this regard, we will today be recognising a host of distinguished personalities, whose activities are worthy of emulation in the area of sustaining ethical digital media practice.
These individuals, in no particular order, are: Barr Theodora Okwy Igwegbe mni, Head of Service Anambra State Government; Engr Dr Felix Odimegwu, Commissioner for Environment; Hon Tonycollins Nwabunwanne Commissioer for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community affairs; Hon Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Anambra State; Hon Mrs Ify Obinabo, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare; the Founder of Digi Diva Stores, Obioma Obidiegwu; Journalist Izunna Okafor as well as Eche Kenny C.
These distinguished men and women have emerged tops from our award categories such as:
* Public Service Awards
* Media Man of the Year
* Outstanding Social Media Personality of the Year
* Anambra Young Entrepreneur of the Year
* Outstanding Journalist of the Year
Let me at this point, pay homage to the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, whose giant strides, in spite of the very limited resources, are a source of pride for most Ndi Anambra.
From this podium, I say thank you Mr. Governor!!
Distinguished ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’, AMEA 2024 is not an evening of speeches. It is an evening of celebration and recognition, laced with a Paper Presentation by Izunna Okafor Coordinator Society of Young Nigerian Writers.
Also, there will be high-octane music performances as you will testify to as the event unfolds before you physically present here and thousands of others across the globe as we stream the events of tonight online.
We enjoin you to sit back and enjoy the evening!
Once again, welcome to Anambra Media Excellence Award 2024!
Thank You!!!
