It was another sweet smell of victory for Owena Press Ltd, Publishers of The Hope Newspaper on Friday as four of its reporters won five awards at this year’s merit award by the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

For four consecutive years, reporters from the Owena Press stable shone like stars and made a clean sweep of five out of the seven awards in the print media category.

At the event on Friday, Saheed Ibrahim won the most prestigious of the awards, ‘Journalist of The Year’ Award and Investigative Reporter of the Year Award. This was a feat achieved in the last year edition of the awards by Maria Famakinwa, of The Hope Newspaper.

In this year’s edition of the awards which were keenly contested, Saheed wrestled five other contestants who submitted entries in each of the categories to the ground.

Famakinwa, however, jointly won the Grassroots Reporter of the Year, with Osagie Otabor of The Nation for the Print Grassroots Reporter of the Year award .

Femi Atolagbe retained his award as Sports Journalist of the Year while Peter Oluwadare won the Photojournalist of the Year Award.

In other award categories, Juliet Buna of OSRC won the Investigative Reporter of the Year Award and Journalist of the Year Award in the broadcast category while Olufisoye Adenitan of Radio Nigeria won Journalist of the Year Award for radio.

Sehinde Omokoba won the Media Veteran Award, TV Producer of The Year was won by Michael Omotosho of OSRC while Patience Ibeh of Adaba FM won in the radio category.

On Air Personality of the Year Award was won by Sunday Kolawole of OSRC and Godday Ighoteguana won the Newscaster of the Year Award.

Other awards were Cameraman of the Year won by Saheed Bello of NTA, Information Officer of the Year won by Ronke Ayoola, Press Officer of the Year by Augustine Adeoye, Broadcast Political Reporter of the Year Saheed Aribisala of OSRC, Broadcast Grassroots Reporter of the Year by Abiola Ariyo.

The chairman, Ondo State NUJ, Prince Leke Leke got a Special Award of Excellence for good leadership and performance.

Awards of Excellence were bestowed on worthy notable individuals in the state, which include Chief Olugbenga Ale, Engr Raimi Aminu, Dr (Mrs) Funmilola Williams-Daudu, Surv. Kayode Oludare, Lanre Moyero, Mr Fatai Adams, Mr Femi Babafemi among others.

From left: Alhaji Lai Gidado, presenting an Award of Best Photographer of the Year, to Mr Peter Oluwadare