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Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, has expressed happiness over his nomination as Governor of the Year, saying the honour would spur him to offer greater service to the state and people.
Uzodimma and 25 others will receive The Sun awards on May 7, 2022 in Lagos.
Speaking in Owerri when the Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Sun Publishing Limited, Onuoha Ukeh, led a delegation to present a letter announcing him as winner of the award, Uzodimma des-cribed The Sun as a publishing outfit known for professionalism, courage and truth.
He said he was particularly impressed that The Sun had never allowed politics, undue sentiment and extraneous forces to becloud its judgment.
The governor said: “I’m so excited to receive this award from a medium like yours. The award is for the people of the state; without them I couldn’t have achieved anything.
“I will forever remaine grateful to my people. They have stood behind me. Because of them, I’m being honoured. I want to promise them that the award will only encourage me to do more for them.”
Uzodimma said despite the current challenges in the state, he would continue to do his best to not only justify the confidence Imo people have in him but also to take the state to higher glory.
Earlier, The Sun MD said the choice of Uzodimma as Governor of the Year was based on what he has done in office in two years.
Specifying some of the things the governor has done, Ukeh said: “We note that as governor, you are silently working to make the state better. Although your achievements seem to be drowned by security challenges, they are there for those who are unbiased to see.
“Within the short period of being in office, you have given Imo indigenes many reasons to be happy. You are recovering from previous state actors, private property acquired with state resources. You have also recovered lands illegally taken from hapless citizens by previous state actors and giving them back to the original owners.“
The MD said Uzodimma has done much to reconstruct roads in the state capital, including Douglas Road to Naze junction, Links Hotel Road, Chikwuma Nwaoha Road, Hospital junction, Umu-guma to High Court Road, Bank Road/Assumpta Avenue, Emman-uel College to Pastoral Centre, Imo Police Headquarters Road, Nekede Old Road bridge, Amako-hia Flyover Road, Ebere Links end of new Government House Road, Amakohia-Onitsha (DSS) Road, Works Road by Bala Suya, Cher-ubim junction to Owerri Club Road, Ahiajoku Centre – Port Har-court Road and Umezuruike-Ware-house Road, among others.
“Similarly, the Owerri-Orlu and Ow-erri-Okigwe dual carriageway, which are critical intercity roads, are being reconstructed and dualised to serve as major gateway to the two evolving cities in the state,” He said.
Ukeh noted that at a time when public utilities are in decay across the country, Uzodimma “is restoring hope by rehabilitating these infrastructures. For the first time in decades, public taps are dispensing water in some parts of Owerri.”
In the education sector, The Sun MD said the Uzodimma government “has built a new polytechnic at Omumma, remodeled and rebranded the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo to make it a cutting-edge institution, repackaged the Imo State University by providing state-of-the-art equipment, just as primary and secondary schools are also receiving attention.”
Other award winners, apart from Uzodimma, are Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu (Man of the Year), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State (Governor of the Year), Dr. Ahmad Lawan, Senate President (Political Icon), Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State (Courage in Leadership) and Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, First Lady of Abia State (Most Supportive First Lady).
Also to be honoured are Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, MD, First Bank Nigeria Limited (Banking Icon of the Decade), Emmanuel Mbaka, MD, Platinum Mortgage Bank (Banker of the Year), Senator Uche Ekwunife and HE Mrs. Toyin Saraki (Humanitarian Service Icon); Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour & Employment (Public Service Icon) and star actress, Destiny Etiko (Nollywood Personality).
In the business categories, the following are winners: Ebuka Okafor, Chairman, Vixa Pharmaceutical and Emmanuel Iheagwazi, Chairman, Climax Lubricants Industries (Industrialist of the Year), Dr. Charles Mba, Chairman, CDV Properties and Development Limited and Okey Nzenwa, Chairman, Pan-Marine Investment Limited (Investor of the Year) as well as Chief Benson Madubuko, Chairman, De Chico Group (Entrepreneur of the Year)
Other winners are High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Bisi Akande and Col Sani Bello (retd) (Lifetime Achievement), Daniel Igali, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports (Sports Personality) and Augustine Okoro, chairman, Corinthian Hotel & Suites (Hospitality Personality).
