Several journalists scooped prestigious honours at the annual awards ceremony hosted by a major cellphone company on Sunday.

Several journalists scooped prestigious honours at the annual awards ceremony hosted by a major cellphone company on Sunday.

Though fortuitous in itself, the timing of the event could not have come at a better time for practitioners of this noble craft who find themselves under enormous attack from the opponents of press freedom.

The anti-media band in our country has one thing in common: a mortal fear of the spotlight good journalism shines on their dubious activities.

Today, the air is thick with ruses to either limit the freedom of our media or control them in one way or another.

The reason is simple: our independent media do a good job of carrying out their watchdog role and speaking truth to power.

Therefore, they have become thorns in the sides of those who would rather do as they pleased with impunity - from dumping defective condoms on unsuspecting people in a country ravaged by Aids to selling government identity documents to foreign criminals.

These share their contempt for the media with, among others, power-hungry politicians, corrupt bureaucrats and thugs masquerading as traditionalists.

Congratulations to the award-winners for serving the public with distinction.

May the honour spur them to keep exposing the machinations of depraved men with even more vigour.