Cover of NATIONAL WAVES Newspaper
Spinoza in one of his thoughtful insights on life once noted that the measure of people and things is not how long they have existed but the impact they have made on institutions and people in particular, and the society in general.
With this in mind, the philosopher’s strong outlook on what constitutes achievement worthy of a celebratory mood becomes all the more relevant when viewed in respect of the trajectory of the media wonder called NATIONAL WAVES which clocked 16 in March, 2024.
For the past 16 years, NATIONAL WAVES Newspaper and Magazine had with much impact and in the best tradition of qualitative journalism interrogates issues of national importance, and public interest in furtherance of public good. In this wise, NATIONAL WAVES had severally fallen into trouble waters, drawn the ire of power holders who not only use the power with unbridled corruption and in a manner arbitrary, but has consistently striven to suppress those keen on telling the truth. In Nigeria, power not only corrupts but does show with absolutism.
The media landscape is choked, harsh and competitive, with many titles going under in the last three decades, no thanks to economic meltdown of which one of the biggest casualties is the media; yet , in spite of this reality of media being financially endangered, NATIONAL WAVES has continued to thrive competitively in pursuit of its messianic mission to report the truth and tells it as it is, a big testament to the indomitable spirit of my humble self, a seasoned, celebrated journalist, Jimmy Enyeh.
The moral high ground achieved so far by the medium is in part due to its independence, resistance to corruption by political influence; and its abiding philosophy to be on the side of the people in national dialects and narratives.
It’s not surprising then that on December 3, 2023, I was honoured with the National Media Community Award: “Icon of Media Excellence in Print Journalism,” This is neither the first recognition nor the last, but just one in a series of awards.
The award was bestowed on me at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos State.
According to the award organisers, in a letter signed by the Chairman, Advisory Board Governing Council, Nigeria Media Network in conjunction with Daily Pride Communications, Dr. Agnes NyumahBokai, and others, the award was conferred on the Publisher of National Waves Newspaper and Magazine, Jimmy Enyeh, on account of his untainted years of experience and for great achievements vis a vis rising to the zenith of the journalism profession through dint of hard work and doggedness.
NATIONAL WAVES has severally been harassed and maligned on account of its truthful reportage of events and developments in the polity, in spite of this, it has refused to budge, Ironically, the medium lawyer in the heady days of harassment was Barrister Festus Keyamo, who is today, the country’s Minister of Aviation.
In the Abuja media landscape, it would be difficult to controvert the fact that NATIONAL WAVES is number one in spilling out scoops involving the high and low in society, and the doggedness with which the medium investigates this spiral of scandals in the past 16 years is amazing; and , further constitutes the core of the abiding faith the reading public has on the medium. It’s all about,” go and get me a copy of NATIONAL WAVES”.
The medium is not all about ferreting out the murky dirts of public officials, or their failure to keep faith with the people whose mandates they are holding in trust, but the uniqueness of the philosophy of the NATIONAL WAVES’ titles is its insistence right from the outset to celebrate achievements in different walks of life from the arts to the economy, from politics to sports and others.
For the reading public, the only way to celebrate with NATIONAL WAVES is to continue to patronize the medium both hardcopy and online, in all this, the truth that juts out is that the medium is not about Mr. Jimmy Enyeh, the publisher, for the paper has transcended him and morphed into national asset.
Let us all shout in a highly celebratory tone sixteen salutes to NATIONAL WAVES
And for us at NATIONAL WAVES, this is not the time to rest on our oars, not the time to be mesmerized by the deluge of praise, but the time to double our resolve to continue to report the truth, speak directly to power, make them accountable to the electorate, and force them to respect the social contract between them and the people.
