Countrymen and women, loyalists and opponents, I scored another first over the last weekend. I became the first excellent one in the history of Sikaman to attend ?grace? a media awards ceremony with my presence. I remember the last time they invited me to that programme, I came up with some creative excuses not to attend. The journalists? association was in disarray at the time and the whole awards programme was mired in deep controversy as media professionals embarrassed themselves with an argument over ?who is a journalist?? I didn?t want to be part of any journalistic controversy so I stayed away and got someone to read a speech on my behalf.

This time around, I decided to attend because the journalists? association appear to have put its house in order. I think the awards went to very deserving journalists (in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, right?). I was also very happy to see that the association had been able to organize elections and stage a smooth handover to a new executive. That?s very surprising (and commendable) for an association which couldn?t tell which of its members was in good standing about two years ago.