Are Nigerian Auto Awards For Sale?

At a media event to announce an auto award in Nigeria, P.M.NEWS Motoring was denied  entry. Reason: According to the organisers the publication had been writing negative  stories concerning the outfit, (not that the stories were untrue).

Customarily, I enjoy reading automotive news while lying on the sofa in my sitting  room. Alone, all alone because it gives me the opportunity to marshal my thoughts,  which usually crystallize into what you eventually read. Some say they are caustic  and abusive, while others say they are daring, thought-provoking and simply  controversial.

Just the other day, at the Scottish Auto Award, “an audience of 200 was made up of  people drawn from all sectors of the motor industry plus members of the Association  of Scottish Motoring Writers who selected the winner.” Period!

I then thought of Nigeria, my fatherland, where any firm could just rise up, gather  some money, hire hotels and dish out awards, all in the name of making money; and  many auto stakeholders flaunt these awards. Haba!

One has developed a thick skin to the fumbling organisers of such dubious awards,  and try to intimidate any discerning auto journalist who dares to question their  motives. Twice I had watched them, twice I had cause to fight tension, especially  when I reflect on the consequences of the auto award failure.

Yes, I feel that these awards should not continue (this is not possible) especially  with what has befallen the industry, yet auto journalists are striving hard to raise  the tempo of true and sincere awards, devoid of buy-and-sell mentality.

I’m still pained with the fact that deserving auto companies that ought to win are  left out, because influential auto firms had paid for the awards one way or the  other. I digress.

The future of automobile awards lie in the hands of the auto journalists and they  haven’t pretended not to exist. If only they could get their acts together, they can  make it better, while stakeholders will know the honour is genuine.

For now, flaunting of any auto award outside the Nigerian Auto Merit Award (NAMA)  being put together by Nigerian auto journalists, is a mistake.

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