07/03/2026
OVIETEME GEORGE/TANTITA VETERANS AWARD INITIATIVE
by
ALAOWEI EKIYE, our Features Writer
It is a popular biblical saying that the labourer is worthy of his wages. In same irreathe, honour should be given to whom honour is due.
Indeed, it is proper to honour persons who have significantly contributed through their careers or professions to state and national development while they are alive and kicking, for them to feel the impact of the recognition and deserving award. This, no doubt, would enable them savour the recognition of society’s appreciation of their services while alive.
The crux of the matter is the need to honour the living. The need to reward the living for meritorious service certainly informed Ovieteme to take the initative to organize a programme to celebrate veteran journalists, and of course, in their life time. Ninety seven honourees!
So, history was made a little over three weeks ago when Ovieteme George, international award winning ARISE TV reporter, unfolded his master stroke, in conjunction with Tantita Security Services Nig. Ltd, beaming in the process, deep and heartfelt smiles on the faces of long forgotten veterans in Bayelsa State.
Saturday 14th of February, 2026, Valentine’s Day was set aside for the celebration of this epoch-making event in celebration of these veterans. Icons of the pen profession who where the best in their time and now veterans converged with enthusiasm at the Sampson Siasia Sports Stadium in Yenagoa. Ninety seven of them were honoured in recognition of their contributions to the upliftment, growth and development of the journalism profession in particular and to the state and Nigeria in general. It is gratifying to note that Bayelsa State produced that number of veterans in the noble pen profession.
The lettering on the plaque reads: “An awards presented with profound gratitude in recognition of meritorious service to state and nation through creative presentations, reportage and story telling, for the ultimate good of improving society”. It was a day set aside to appreciate creativity and excellence.
Preceding the day of presentation, bill boards were erected and mounted at strategic locations in the state capital. Jingles were ran on radio. Television and the social media went agog in the dissemination of the information about the upcoming event thereby giving the event adequate publicity. No wonder, the response was impressive. By 8.00am on the said date the programme was well underway. The Sampson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa, venue for the event came alive with well spaced-out and well-timed activities.
The beneficiaries, cutting across both Print and Electronic Media, as well as Publishers, including former General Managers of the State-owned Media Houses were in attendance. It should be noted that some of the recipients started their career in the old Rivers State but transfered their services when Bayelsa State was created in October 1996. They all came in their numbers.
The award came in two categories. Number one category with majority of the recipients who are yet to clock eighty (80) years falling into the first category while five (5) of them who were over eighty (80) years made the second category. The awardees were treated to novelty football matches as a prelude to the event proper.
Two club sides, studded with stars of the legends of the round leather game locked horns with each other in an epic battle which in the first match did not produce a winner. It ended goalless as if they did not play to win. The pace of the game was slow, dictated by the composition of the players, having heavy and overweight players with protruding tummies which worked against their mobility.
The second game, however, was different. Both teams fielded much younger, energetic and determined players so the tempo of the game was high and both sides were desirous to win. No wonder the second match produced a goal. It was quite entertaining as guests and veterans were on the edge on their seats.
The programme did not end with the presentation of the awards, it also comprised costly plaques, a jersey T-shirt and sumptuous lunch pack to go with. Ovieteme George actually went a step further to put broad smiles on the faces of the recipients when three days after the programme, their phones buzzed with message alerts from their banks confirming transaction to the effect that one million (N1,000,000.00) or five Million (N5,000.000.00) naira, depending on the category, has been deposited to their accounts.
That date and the events have come and gone and whatever that happened is now history but the programme left its foot prints on the sands of time, leaving an indelible mark on the practice of journalism and recognition of journalists in the country. For one, history was made, an unbeatable history, confirmed in certain quarters, like the Vice President Zone F, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Dokubo Obaka asserted: “Indeed history has been made here. One that will never be forgotten in the annals of the Nigeria Union of Journalists”.
Indeed, history was made. The day’s event was unprecedented, like being the first of its kind to have that number of journalists honoured in one day and the generous financial package that went with it.
Again, Comrade Obaka: “For what has happened here, it is going to be difficult for the various councils across the country and even for the National Secretariat to…” He thus adviced other councils to borrow a leaf from what has happened in the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
According to Ovieteme George, his motive was to “honour the living. It makes sense to honour the living and not the dead”. This is instructive.
Chief Hestin Pondi, Managing Director, Tantita Security Services Nig. Ltd, represented by the Administrative Manager, Miss Daisy Jaja, commended Ovieteme and the company over the laudable initiative to celebrate the living in a system were emphasis is on celebrating the dead.
Indeed, whereas it has become our culture and tradition to honour the dead by giving the dead more attention, Ovieteme has changed the narrative in a most dramatic way. And he did followed through by expending fabulous resources for the living.
In his words: “I keyed into this objective to redirect the focus of expensive and extravagant attention for the dead to the living”. This lofty idea and its achievement is life changing.
Still on the advocacy of honouring the living, it would be recalled that on the commencement of the programme, Mr. Ebi Avi, the master of ceremony, did well to remember some of the fallen veteran journalists in the State. And when he spoke, Ovieteme George also remembered some of the veterans who had passed on. I remembered him mention Comish Ekiye, Brighten Sorgwe, Isaac Ombe and a host of others.
The ovation for Ovieteme, his supportive wife Favour, and Tantita was very loud and came from all quarters. The social media came strong after the ceremony, especially after the banks have communicated to them the expected messages. Recipients and non-recipient’s alike sent messages of appreciation and blessings to the organisers for the thoughtful award ceremony.
In advance, presiding Pastor Charismatic Renaissance International Church, Apostle David Wale Feso, who did the first set of presentation of the awards commended Ovieteme George for packaging the programme and gave kudos to the sponsors. “People”, he said, “ought to be rewarded on retirement after service and good a thing this award is coming in their life time.”
Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa State branch, Comrade Tonye Yemoleigha expressed profound gratitude to the organizers, calling on well-meaning public spirited individuals to collaborate with organizations to support such efforts.
The Bayelsa State Council of the NUJ expressed their gratitude this wayi: “It is a novel idea and leadership of the Council is very much appreciative and pray that you Ovieteme too would be honoured sometime in the foreseeable future”.
We in EnvironmentWatch also commend Ovieteme and Tantita for this laudable and well executed project. We wish them the best in their future endeaours.
Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of the book: “Redefining Nigeria: Essays on State, Nation, Leadership and Democracy”, written by Deacon Braeyi Ekiye, veteran Journalist and prolific writer, to the organisers of the programme. While presenting the book, Deacon Ekiye said that its central message dwelt on, among other issues, the compelling need for Nigeria to be restructured in line with the practice of True Fiscal Federalism, where devolution of powers were clearly spelt out between the federal government and federating units. He also called for the abrogation of archaic, obnoxious and rights-decapitating petroleum and land laws, which he said, have greatly hampered the right to Niger Deltans full ownership and control of oil and gas resources domiciled in their lands.
Deacon Ekiye noted that only a redemptive leadership rooted in selflessness, vision, pragmatism and institutional accountability can save Nigeria from the present normalized dysfunctional state of affairs in the country.
He therefore called on the President Tinubu administration to have the political will and courage to correct the serious defects in Nigeria’s democratic governance system for the peace, security, unity and accelerated progress of the country.
Certainly, the ceremony, in recognition of meritorious services by veteran journalists to state and nation building exhumed the finer, courageous, fearless and intellectual attributes of our foremost Nigerian journalist, and foundational nationalist, who is proudly a son of Bayelsa State, Ernest Sese Ikoli. Ikoli must be thumbs up for Ovieteme, Tantita and recipients of the awards for standing strong and unshakable in defence of a free, safe and independent press.
EnvironmentalWatch
Tele/Whatsapp: 09031594537
Email: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, 5th March, 2026.