Accra, Ghana, December 15, 2018//-Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, the Editor-In-Chief of African Eye Report, a leading Pan-African ICT, economy, business, banking and finance, and energy news website, has won this year’s Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ)-Flamingo award at the fifth edition of the IFEJ-Flamingo Awards held in Accra, Ghana yesterday.
He emerged the Best Reporter in Development category of the prestigious awards. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Sulemanu Koney who was the guest speaker of the event, presented a plaque and a citation to Mr Kunateh as the award.
Mr Kunateh’s report titled: “How Ghana Is Wasting Its Abundant Water Resources” was recognized for seeking find out why a country with such abundance of water resources is struggling to quench the thirst of its people”.
The citation accompanying the award read by Dr Zakaria Tanko, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ): “He analyses Ghana’s data in comparison with a number of other countries , some larger in size than Ghana”.
Dr Tanko continued: “He traces the threats to Ghana’s water resources to illegal mining, climate change, power water management practices, bad farming practices, among others.
“He then goes on to proffer solutions which can help address these challenges. In conclusion, he predicts that Ghana stands the risk of having to import water in the nearest future to be able to provide for the water needs of its population should these challenges remain unaddressed”.
This is a well-researched piece, highly original in its conception, presented systematically and objectively free of adjectival and unsubstantiated assertions”, Dr Tanko read.
The richness of the story is enriched through the author’s recourse to multiple sources from both desk research and face-to-face interviews”.
Other winners
Richard Annerquaye Abbey of B&FT emerged the overall winner – the Business Journalist for 2018. He won the Best in Tourism Reporting and the Best in Natural Resources to become the Overall Best.
Suleiman Mustapha of Daily Graphic won two awards- Best in Finance and Best in Local Economy, while Kofi Ahovi, a freelance journalist took home the Best in Agric award.
Jury chairman advice
Prof John Gatsi, the Chairman of the Awards Jury, advised potential entrants to plan for their stories and to ensure originality, creativity, and initiative as well as produce balanced, fair and the use multiple sources to deliver professional and quality reportage.
Instructively, the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) was formed in 1990 to help develop the skills of journalists in business and financial reporting.
One of the objectives of the institute is to advance the study, development and application of improved financial and economic communication methods through appropriate hands-on approaches and platforms.
Over the past years, the Institute had lived up to this objective and positioned itself as an effective organisation that provides and promotes co-operation, common understanding and exchange of ideas in the field of economic and financial journalism.
This objective enabled members of the Institute to attend various workshops, seminars, roundtable discussions with captains of industry and commence as well as with government and non-governmental organisations on another various aspects of the economy.
This is the link to the award winning Best in Development story: https://africaneye.soscodesoftware.com/how-ghana-is-wasting-its-abundant-water-resources/.
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