From Honour to Horror: How Organizers are Turning Recipients into ATMs

I have been encouraged to come up with a write up on the menace of dubious awards bedeviling the Nigeria media industry by an earlier post by my brother Damilola Amuda GoalGetter

The concept of awards is meant to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements and contributions. However, a disturbing trend is emerging in Ibadan, Oyo State, where awards organizers are turning prospective recipients into beggars, and the whole idea into a lucrative money-making venture.

Here's how it works: individuals and corporate bodies create a long list of award categories and nominees. To win, nominees must solicit votes from their fans, but with a twist - voters must pay to cast their votes. The nominee with the highest number of votes wins, but the real winners are the awards organizers, who rake in hundreds of thousands of naira from voting fees.

As someone who has been nominated for several awards, I can attest that this system is not only dubious but also undermines the credibility of the awards. I recall being nominated for an award a few months ago and being required to beg people to vote for me. When I realized that the voting fees were running into hundreds of thousands of naira, I knew something was amiss.

The problem with this system is that it creates an uneven playing field, where those with more resources and connections have a better chance of winning. It also undermines the integrity of the awards, as winners are not chosen based on merit, but rather on their ability to mobilize votes.

To restore credibility to the awards system, I propose that organizers adopt a more transparent and merit-based approach. This could involve having a panel of veterans and experts review nominees and select winners based on predetermined criteria. This way, winners are chosen based on their achievements, rather than their ability to mobilize votes.

Ultimately, the awards system should be about recognizing and celebrating excellence, not about making a quick buck. It's time for awards organizers to rethink their approach and prioritize credibility and fairness over profits.