It was Joseph Addison who postulated many years ago that “Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave. At home a friend, above an introduction, in solitude a solace, and in society an ornament. It chastens vice, it guides virtue, at once grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage”.
The above statement shows the degree of dexterity education lavished on those who it without compromise. Joseph Addison a great philosopher pictured education which cut across all the strata of life as the basic foundation which society springs forth, this may include primary education which is very key to mental development at the tender age, the high school education and the adult education, with all this civilized, education advertently leads to greatness and economic emancipation.
It is important to note that this gesture of this great magnitude is by no means a small one, as this will encourage journalists to have freedom of choice to interpret issues within the globe.
This scholarship to assist journalists is the first of its kind in the history of Rivers State and the country at large as Prince Emma Anyanwu views education as a prerequisite and the bedrock of any nations, those who refused to acquire it will continue to gallivant in social and economic bewilderment as the world is moving on a fast lane and there are many Rivers people waiting for this opportunity.
The Etche born business mogul sees the training of journalists as important to the job, hence the monumental free-will donation which is a source of inspiration and a pathway to societal transformation to the people of Rivers State.
To be candid, Prince Anyanwu is a scholarly minded personality with passion and love of the profession.
It is consonant with the issue of training that the International Commission for the Study of Communication problems states categorically the importance of training.
Under this context of training, the Commission described training as fundamental to the effective operation and development of communication systems, particularly, the training of journalists can not be down played in this world of global discoveries.
Therefore, a trained journalist will conquer this world of myopic and uncreative reasoning, corruption, land primitive accumulation of wealth, to a system of interpreting global issues, to the understanding of others. The training in this regard increased the role of the press, from a mere reportorial person to an analytical, interpretative and entertaining personality.
Regrettably, the challenges of journalism are enormous and only those who are prepared can survive it. These challenges are in two dimensions, the attack on the media by the government and its agencies and the lords in the society who feel they are above the law. The media as an impoverished orphan faced with arrest, oppression, suppression and sometime outright killing in presenting the fact and the figure. This is perhaps why Prince choses to identify with this noble profession as the fourth Estate of the Realm.
In truism, the media can be regarded as an angel or a devil depending on which side of the report one find’s himself as earlier stated.
Nevertheless, in all this alterations and biggish deprivation against journalists in Rivers State there are some good Rivers people who think that journalists are one of the depressed and yet not rewarded.
The Prince Emma Anyanwu two million naira scholarship to journalists in Rivers State is a clear manifestation of those who identify with the plight of journalists at any point in time. He has also doubled the gesture, not by paying the money immediately, but regretted that the scholarship is belated this singular act and sincerity of purpose made him to immediately release another two million naira for next year scholarship programme.
This great man is not the richest man in Rivers state neither is he the CEO of the oil conglomerate, or among those who own oil blocs like some in the northern part of Nigeria, as they confessed that they do not know the amount of money in their bank account, while those who suffer the oil exploitation and exploration with devastating effect are found in he Niger Delta suffering from abject poverty.
Apparently, let society praise those who liberate them, those who strive to make others proud and those who record purpose, the Prince Emma Anyanwu Foundation for journalists in Rivers State was inaugurated on April 2, 2012 by the benefactor and patron of the NUJ in the state, Prince Emma Anyanwu.
Very creditably, the chairman of Foundation for Journalists known as the scholarship committee, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim left no doubt or question as he piously handled the selection process very meticulously.
Conclusively, the NUJ in Rivers State is left with the critical task of profoundly expressing its gratitude in a degree tantamount to the philanthropic gesture of Prince Emma Anyanwu. The first love of Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ)
Written by Pius Dukor
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