By Magnus Emuji
KWALE/Nigeria: Publisher of Ndokwa Vanguard Newspaper, Uncle Alaska Ekele, has restated his commitment to establishing a research centre in Ukwuani land, saying it will serve as a bridge for the people and provide lasting impact for future generations.
Ekele made the disclosure while speaking with journalists ahead of the 20th anniversary of Ndokwa Vanguard and the formal launch of the research centre, billed for October 11 in Kwale.
According to him, several historical facts about the Ukwuani people have been distorted, and the research centre will provide a reliable resource for both indigenes and non-indigenes to access accurate information. He urged Ukwuani people to be objective in seeking facts, noting that his newspaper had played a key role in averting intra- and inter-ethnic crises in many communities.
“I established Ndokwa Vanguard to give my people a voice and to place the Ukwuani on the map of ethnic nationalities with community newspapers,” Ekele said, stressing that the publication has sustained its standards for two decades.
He explained that more than 200 Mass Communication students from tertiary institutions within and outside Delta State have benefitted from practical training through the paper’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. The newspaper, he added, has also provided employment opportunities for many youths across the state.
Ekele appealed for financial support from well-meaning individuals to further grow the publication and strengthen its role in societal development. He recalled turning down a lucrative offer of ₦5 million and a car from the CEO of Boussalle Group Limited, Chief Bright Ugwoegbu, to manage a proposed paper, Isu News, in his village, saying he chose instead to pursue what was in the best interest of the Ukwuani people.
He also expressed appreciation to Vanguard Newspaper, where he worked for years before establishing Ndokwa Vanguard, for its long-standing policy of reabsorbing former staff who voluntarily return.
Uncle Alaska Ekele, a member of five professional bodies including the Chartered Institute of Administration, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, Association of Nigerian Authors, South South Writers Forum, and Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, established Ndokwa Vanguard in 2005.
