The Future Awards (TFA) 2012 have come and gone.
Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners in all the various
categories. The theme, as everyone knows, is used above in an attempt to
capture what we were told is the essence of the awards. The way I understand
it, the goal of the TFA since inception has been to celebrate young NIGERIAN
achievers in the various sectors of living. Notice how I typed the Nigerian in
uppercase? I did this because I believe that the awards were founded on a
platform that was supposed to promote equity and fairness. My understanding of
it is that the TFA was founded to celebrate Nigerians irrespective of their
tribe, religion and social affiliations. Over the years, I have observed the
TFA from afar and marveled at the extent to which it has become a platform
through which outstanding young Nigerians have been recognized. I even hoped
secretly that someday, a young entrepreneur like me would get the honor of
winning such an award. However, in this year’s TFA (which happens to be the
one, in about five years since I started following the event, that I actually
have a personal relationship with some of the nominees), I have had reasons to
doubt the sincerity of the very basis on which the TFA was founded. Personally,
I have become disillusioned and disappointed in the organizers of the TFA for
putting up the sloppy display of shamelessness and disorganization that they
called the TFA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. As much as many would consider the
awards a success, many of the nominees will choose to agree otherwise as they
were the ones that witnessed the show of disrespect.
In all of these, the saddening thing is that the theme
chosen for this year’s TFA contrasted sharply with all the happening as I
gathered from these shortlisted nominees. According to my sources, the 2012 TFA
was shrouded in favoritism, lackadaisical attitude and acts of total disrespect
for some of the nominees from other states apart from Lagos. Tales of
abandonment, inhuman dealings and inconsideration for the plight of the
respectable members of the Nigerian society who were totally sidelined by the
organizers belittled what could have been a resounding success story for the
TFA 2012. Many nominees who chose to share their plight with me told me of how
they were abandoned in Lagos by the organizers despite that they were told to
make themselves available in Lagos on Friday so a flight could be easily
arranged for them to get to Port Harcourt in time for the event. Given that
these people were nominated, and voted for, by Nigerians who appreciated their
work and felt they deserved the award, the fact that they got unfair treatment
by the organizers simply because they were relatively unknown sends a very
strong message to Nigerians. Many Nigerians believed in them enough to
nominate, and vote for, these people so they could be short-listed therefore
these hardworking citizens should have been shown some modicum of respect by
the organizers.
Even before all these, at the initial nomination stage,
some of these relatively unknown nominees told me of their fears for the TFA.
Many of them thought that the organizers already had anointed candidates whom
they were tipping for the awards and that despite the nomination; these
anointed candidates would still win in these categories. I tried to allay their
fears by encouraging them to trust in the process because I believed that the
people who are campaigning for a change in Nigeria’s status quo could not be involved
in the same kind of behaviors they preach against. Needless to say, when the
time came for flight arrangements to go wrong, most of the nominees who were
affected were these relatively unknown ones while the so called anointed ones
got to Port Harcourt on time for the event. Considering the “coincidence”
above, many observers therefore opined that there was an underlying issue of
credibility that the organizers of the TFA have not yet chosen to address. Many
also feel that the event was taken to Rivers State in order that the PDP
governor, who happened to be a friend of the organizers and who had offered to
sponsor the event, could be portrayed in good light and that the relatively
unknown nominees were intentionally left behind because the organizers couldn’t
afford to have dissenting views. It also raises the question that, given that
the organizers got travelling and hosting sponsorship for the TFA, why were
these nominees left behind in Lagos because of, as the Executive Director told
me when I asked on twitter, constraints of resources?.
My plan is to share their stories; for as many as are
willing to let me share it, so that Nigerians can know how it all went down. I
am going to share their stories one at a time so Nigerians can choose to decide
for themselves who is on their side. I have many stories already but I have
sent an email to the TFA organizers requesting answers to some of the questions
that these nominees have. Many of them have chosen to be anonymous because they
do not want to be perceived as bitter because they did not win. I am expecting
that in about a week or so, the organizers will reply my email so I can share
their side of the story as well. If they do not, I shall then proceed to share
the stories of disregard, disrespect and contempt that the relatively unknown
nominees have to tell as far as the 2012 TFA is concerned.
I rest my pen for a little while. Meanwhile, please join
me in prayers that the organizers do the right thing.
N.B
Please, if you were a nominee and u have stories to tell
about how you were treated; whether good or bad, please send it in an email to olumyking@gmail.com . Thanks a lot.
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