Unilever in bed with the "Fake"

Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - Unilever Ghana Limited, an otherwise reputable multi-national company, on Friday waded into the controversy surrounding the selection of Mr Komla Dumor as 2001/2002 Journalist of the Year by giving him a prize worth 105 million cedis.

Mr Norman Swanepoel, Human Resource Manager of Unilever, made the presentation, which included course fees of 4,000 pounds, comprising accommodation, fare for course visits and out of pocket allowance for meals and other little comforts.


Apart from the 120 pounds per week, which would be paid to Mr Dumor while in the UK, the Company included a lump sum spending money of 840 pounds. He was also given a personal computer and printer.


The Ghana News Agency, Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times and TV-3 Chapters of the Ghana Journalists Association do not recognise Mr Dumor as the Journalist of the Year for 2001/2002 because at that time he was not a member of the Association.

The old National Executives of the Association, for reasons best known to itself, remained adamant.


Ms Ajoa Yeboah Afari, GJA President, thanked Unilever for sustaining the prize, which began in the 1972, and said she hoped that Unilever would expand collaboration with the GJA, now that the GJA had a permanent press centre.


Mr Dumor said he was grateful to the GJA Awards Committee for their decision.