Edmund Burke, the 18th Century British Political writer and statesman said, ” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that, good men do nothing”. This is one of the driving forces behind Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ), The Holy Bible says, ” Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people”. The sin of corruption is fast driving this country into chaos deeper and deeper by the day. We can’t fold our hands and do nothing. NACJ is determined to redirect the course of the history of this country. We believe that honesty and Integrity should be our norm as a nation.
We are running a crusade that would promote Integrity in our society. The honor we can do for the wasted is to change the mentality that is responsible for the waste. It is nonetheless an exhortation to Nigerians, to keep a wide berth between them and corruption.
Over the years in different parts of the world, there have been leaders who have used simple crusade to achieve their goals. Crusade is a way of asking for a change. It is a way of advancing the cause of what we believe. Mahatma Gandhi of India used it to Free his people from the yoke of colonialism. Mao Tse Tung, lad millions of Chinese people in a long walk to campaign for a free China. The famous Martin Luther King was a rally point for fellow black Americans in their struggle against racism and social injustice.
Today, Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ), is championing a course, a crusade that would bring about attitudinal change in our behavioral pattern. It’s a crusade aimed at promoting Integrity as against corruption. The NACJ Integrity Award is not like any others out there, ours is pricey, noble,and prestigious, given only to those who deserve it.
The Award is designed to honor, encourage, and celebrate Nigerians who have demonstrated high sense of Integrity in their official capacities.
The process of selection of nominees the defines the ” Prestige” of the Award. It begins with members of the Association across the nation picking nominees of their choices for the various categories of Award on our staple. The nominees are further scrutinized and at the end, a final list of three nominees on each category would emerge. These nominees are further presented to the public requesting Nigerians to vote for their preferred Candidates.
With this backdrop, we congratulate all the prospective Awardees for this year 2022. This year being our 10 the Anniversary, we are commemorating it by inducting 10 outstanding past recipients into the First Ever INTEGRITY HALL OF FAME, in our history as a nation. This is to further encourage all our recipients to strive at all times to live up to the ideal for which the Award is given.
Nigeria as a nation is about to experience the most credible Award, and of course, the biggest Media event of the year. See you at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos, come Sunday, September 4. You are welcome!
Dr Charles Okhai
President.
