An Address By The Chairman NUJ Cross River State Council Archibong Bassey During The 5th Edition of The Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist's Award On September 20, 2025
In June 2024, when I assumed office as the Chairman NUJ, my predecessor, Mr. Nsa Gill introduced me to Senator Florence Ita Giwa during an event at Metropolitan hotel as his successor and the first thing she said to me was "I want us to bring back the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist's Award" and today we are here.
We have gathered to celebrate the memories of our veteran, who during her life time instituted the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist's Award to reward hard work and dedication.
Reminiscing on some of the chilling experiences shared by colleagues during their Investigative work, I can only be grateful to God for preserving our lives as some of us have come face to face with death all for the passion of journalism and it gives me great joy that some of these efforts will be rewarded tonight.
I want to appreciate very specially our mother and Piller, Dame Princess Florence Ita Giwa especially for her resolution in making the 5th Edition of the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist's Award happen during my tenure as the First Female Chairman of NUJ Cross River State Council despite the harsh economic realities.
Let me also use this forum to congratulate our distinguished Senator Princess Florence Ita Giwa for sustaining this remarkable programme instituted by her mother for the Union which by all standards has given the Union the needed impetus to inject more energy in professional delivery.
With a strong sense of history I am to state that Madam Beatrice Bassey Ita was a committed professional and dedicated woman who was so passionate about the profession with contemporaries like the late Ernest Etim Bassey, Tony Momoh, Peter Pan , Chief Segun Osoba, Tony Iredia, Tony Enahoro, and many others but most importantly, it was then a Male dominated profession.
Beatrice did not only find comfort but exuded absolute confidence, courage and passion to work with her male counterparts and even excelled.
Thank God today that her daughter, Very Distinguished Senator (Princess) Florence Ita Giwa has deemed it expedient to keep these Memories alive by sustaining this Award not only as a Memorabilia but also as a way of encouraging young professionals to follow the path of hard work , excellence and success.
Let me once again make a solemn pledge that we shall never take this gesture for granted for as long as you continue to keep the Memories of your late Mother alive through this sponsorship.
I congratulate you again and sincerely thank you for this opportunity to work with you.
I also want to thank our dear governor, his Excellency, Senator Bassey Edet Otu for giving us an enabling environment to practice.
Recently, Cross River State was ranked as the number one safest state for Journalist's to practice by the Center for Journalism Innovative Development and there is no doubt about that. Thank you sir for being very supportive and I will not stop thanking you for the executive 18 seater bus you have provided for us to make our work easy while I appeal that His Excellency also look into our plea for a permanent accommodation.
To our queen mother, her Excellency, Bishop Dr. Eyoawan Bassey Otu, I want to thank you mother for your love for humanity. Your project " humanity without borders" is an inspiration to us all to dedicate our lives to the service of God and humanity. Thank you for loving our people so effortlessly and permit me to say that Coss Riverian have never had it this good. Thank you for not holding back and I pray that God continues to strengthen you and give you the grace for there is still so much to be done.
To the National President of our great Union, Alhaji Al Hassan Yahaya, thank you sir for making out time to be here with us, we are indeed very delighted to have you, the National President of NAWOJ, Mrs. Aisha Ibrahim and our Zonal VP, Opaka Dokubo grace this auspicious event.
To all our distinguished guests from within and outside the shores of Nigeria, heads of media organizations and distinguished colleagues may God bless you all richly. And lastly, to the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist's Award Committee chaired by the winner of the 4th edition of the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist Award, Mr. Anietie Akpan, I want to thank you immensely for delivering on your mandate.
God bless Nigeria Union of Journalist's (NUJ). God bless Cross River State. God bless the federal Republic of Nigeria
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