The Vice President of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo, recently at the Vanguard Newspapers Personality of the Year 2013 Award ceremony held in Lagos, got it right when he lauded the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, for laying a solid foundation for the growth of the oil rich state’s economy, especially with the uncertain nature of revenue accruing from oil.
Also, for other awardees at the ceremony like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who emerged as Vanguard African Personality of the Year; Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, who was voted the Vanguard Most Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year, and commended for their contributions to the growth of the Nigerian economy, the Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda and veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, to have watched Uduaghan with keen interest as he again bagged Vanguard’s Personality of the Year 2013, speaks volume of his people-oriented achievements.
For the Metro Eire-an Newspapers, a multi-cultural tabloid, noted for its strict monitoring of development issues in developing countries, from far away Ireland to have recently recognized the governor’s determination to move Delta State to the next level of development, is a challenge for Nigerians to begin to look inward to celebrate Nigerians who have made remarkable achievements.
What then can the just – The Sun, The Nigerian Pilot, The Leadership and The Vanguard – here in Nigeria do?
The Sun Newspapers in announcing the choice of the Governor as its 2013 joint Man of the Year, explained: “Uduaghan got the winning votes for envisioning Nigeria beyond Oil and taking practical steps about it in Delta State.
The Leadership Newspaper had this to say: “For his vision of a state beyond oil-a vision beyond time and politics-and for building bridges of peace across one of Nigeria’s most disparate communities, massive building and renewing infrastructure and placing the economy of Delta State on a solid footing, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan is Leadership Governor of the Year 2013.”
As if that was not enough, the Nigerian Pilot Newspapers on its part noted that the choice of Uduaghan as its Man of the Year was informed by “the Governor’s landmark achievements since he assumed office in 2007,” even as the newspaper informed that Uduaghan emerged after “critical appraisal of the performance of all 36 state governors in virtually all areas of assessment.”
The rate at which Uduaghan mopped up newspapers’ awards last year and this year made discerning minds to recognize that he must have really domesticated the Federal Government’s transformation agenda in Delta State, and vigorously pursuing its ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ mantra for the betterment of the state but was under-reported in the media. The governor must be a silent performer!
No wonder the governor told those who cared to listen after bagging the awards: “We have pursued these agenda with great zeal and determination to make Delta State a peaceful place, conducive for investment. Our human capital and infrastructure development agenda have also produced measurable results.”
Uduaghan, whose administration came into office on May 29, 2007 with a clear-cut three-point agenda of Peace and Security, Human Capital Development and Infrastructure Development, described the awards as a call to more work and greater service delivery and promised not to let the newspapers and people of the state down in the remaining years of his administration, even as he sincerely appreciated the decision of the management and editors of the four Nigerian newspapers in choosing and bestowing the 2013 Governor and Man of the Year Awards on him.
Beside commending Uduaghan for striving to create jobs and attract investment to the state through the development of infrastructures, Vice President Sambo hinted of how the Federal Government had followed with keen interest the developmental efforts of Governor Uduaghan, especially in the past four years.
Sambo, who was represented by the Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, at the ceremony, noted with satisfaction that Uduaghan had replicated the Federal Government’s transformation agenda in Delta State.
Since Vanguard’s award on came on the heels of recent similar awards by the Metro Eire-an Newspapers, VP Sambo simply said: “I am not surprised therefore that Dr. Uduaghan emerged Vanguard Newspapers Personality of the Year 2013. I urged the people of Delta state to continue to rally round and support him in his bid to take the state to greater heights.”
Corroborating him, the General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the Vanguard Newspapers Limited, Gbenga Adefaye, who defined the award on the governor as “drawing attention to the importance of service to the people and the country”, added that Vanguard would not relent in celebrating Nigerians who had made remarkable achievements.
Adefaye explained that Uduaghan’s feat of good governance manifested in the successes achieved in the political and economic fields, which endeared the Vanguard family to pick him as its Personality of the Year 2013.
Speaking after he was formally presented with the Vanguard award, the Governor thanked the newspapers’ management for the gesture, particularly, for recognizing his administration’s job creation efforts and the ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ policy, saying: “I am particularly delighted that our humble efforts to create jobs for the people through empowerment programmes, infrastructural development and other enabling environments as encapsulated in the Delta Beyond Oil policy, were being noticed and appreciated.”
Besides, Uduaghan disclosed that such efforts were already yielding results as it has ensured better security of lives and property as well as attracting local and foreign investors to the state. He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the transformation agenda and unity of the country, stressing that it has provided the platform for the nation’s economy to grow.
Former Governor Segun Osoba, who chaired the event, thanked Vanguard Newspapers Limited for appreciating people that has contributed to the growth of the nation.
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