From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikere-Ekiti branch, Ekiti State has bestowed Awards of Excellence on wife of Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mrs Funmi Falana, SAN, Barr Sina Awelewa, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State, Dayo Apata, SAN.
The awards were presented to them during the association’s end of the year 2023 dinner party and award ceremony held at Chief Wole Olanipekun Bar Centre Ikere High Court, Ikere-Ekiti.
The association used the occasion to celebrate outstanding achievers from various fields in recognition of their contributions and impact on the society.
In his welcome address, Dr Asiwaju Michael Afolayan from the Faculty of Law, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti( EKSU) highlighted the virtues of simplicity, humility, courage and resilience exhibited by the awardees and urged the youth to “emulate these qualities”.
He emphasised that “challenges should never lead to the consideration of drastic measures like suicide.”
Responding, Awelewa appreciated the gesture and commended the association for the award, noting that the award would spur him to do more for the association and humanity.
He admonished upcoming lawyers to imbibe the spirit of dedication and honesty in the discharge of their duties.
Awelewa warned youth in the state and country to “shun the get- rich -quick mentality, saying such could put their career in jeopardy.”
He equally admonished the well-to -do and influential people in he society to attend to the rising menace of poverty in the land.
The lawyer commended the Governor of the state, Biodun Oyebanji, for his giant strides in governance but urged him to do more in fighting poverty at the grassroots.
” Today is one of my happiest days in life. I am grateful to the ,leadership of the NBA Ikere-Ekiti branch for recognising me even though, I am a foundation member . I have assisted many members of this branch individually and collectively too and I am proud to be associated with the association.
“I have also given out scholarships to six students from Ilawe-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti as rewards for their brilliant academic performances.
“Sina Awelewa Foundation has been given out scholarships to many students both at the secondary school level and tertiary institutions in the last few years. Many less privileged and the needy have been empowered by the Foundation.
“I am doing this ,not because I am that rich or looking for political gains, but God has blessed me in a miraculous way and I feel one of the ways to appreciate God’s grace upon my life is to touch lives.”
At the event, Awelewa gave out scholarship awards to some students and advised them to face their studies.
He pledged an unwavering commitment to intensify efforts in elevating people from poverty to prosperity.
The former boss of Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State(BSES) noted that the importance of Journalists in the state couldn’t be underestimated because of their roles in keeping the government and the governed adequately informed. He therefore promised to promote the ideas of journalism in the state.