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• Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh (left) presenting letters nominating Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, CEO, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (photo left), and Mr. Robert Azibaola, founder, Zeetin Engineering Limited, as winners of The Sun Public Service Awards 2023 in Abuja
The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr Gbenga Komolafe and Founder, Zeetin Engineering Limited, Robert Azibaola, have extolled The Sun for creating awards regime to celebrate successful Nigerians.
They described The Sun Awards as soothing, unique and inspiring, especially when benchmarked against the painstaking process the newspaper employs in determining those to be honoured.
The two men, who have excelled in their respective fields of endeavour, are proud recipients of The Sun Public Service Award 2023. They will join 32 others who will receive other categories of awards on February 17, 2024 in Lagos.
The two award winners spoke separately while receiving their letters of nomination from the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, in Abuja.
In his remarks, Engr Komolafe said The Sun has no match in balanced reporting, credibility and integrity.
He described the newspaper as one that towers above its peers in the country, while applauding it for being the voice of the voiceless, the clarifier of divergent public opinion, the beacon of hope for the common man and a resilient outfit.
He said many media outfits have become propaganda tools in the hands of influential Nigerians, thereby deviating from their core mandate of professional news reporting.
Komolafe said: “We know many media outfits that do not believe in balanced reporting. They get information and rush to publish it without getting the other side of the story.
“They have deviated from their core mandate. But I’m glad to say that The Sun is not like that. The Sun is unique. When we want to get something credible, we rush to The Sun.”
On The Sun award he would receive, he said: “This award is highly motivating and a call to more hard work. I dedicate it to God, my staff and the NUPRC family as a whole.”
The Sun MD, in his earlier remarks, described Komolafe as a man of many parts who has perfectly used his law and engineering careers to improve the country.
He said: “Using your skills as an engineer and a lawyer as well as your over two decades experience in the petroleum sector, you have been heavily involved in strategic policy formulation and implementation in the oil and gas industry, championing many reforms.
“We are aware that you pioneered successful implementation of electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide, which has resulted in transparent bridging of petroleum products and price equalisation management that saved the government hundreds of billions of naira through institutional process expertise.
“You are credited as facilitating optimum revenue for the Nigerian federation as well as performed transparently as acknowledged by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in one of its reports. You also initiated strategic sales and retail plans and coordinated implementation of achievement of set revenue targets from downstream supply and distribution of refined petroleum products for nationwide consumption.” On his part, Robert Azibaola said the award remains a shining light that will motivate him to reach for greater heights.
The seasoned entrepreneur and environmentalist expressed joy that his endeavours have made so much impact that the management of The Sun decided to honour him.
He said: “I am pleased that The Sun has told me that what I am doing is useful to the society. To that extent, I will say that the explorer may not know how useful his exploration is until those that sent him to do the exploration reward him with a medal.
“I am so happy that you have found me worthy to receive the public service award. I am looking forward to that date to receive the award. With this award as motivation, I will not let Nigerians down with the advocacy I have started.”
The Sun MD said that Azibaola is among Nigerians working assiduously to take the country to higher level.
He said: “It is when you praise a man for what he has done that he will do more. We selected a few of your achievements to confirm that you deserve the award based on merit because of your outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the country.
“You are a man of many parts, entrepreneurial, lawyer, innovator as well as human and environmental activist. When you founded Mangrovet Tech Limited, a civil engineering company that later metamorphosed into Tatata in 1999, not many people saw the venture as anything that would be taken seriously.
“But, by 2018, your success story has begun to manifest in different ways. One of the evidence of your progression was the establishment of Zeetin Engineering set up to produce high end technology and heavy-duty equipment to produce the first electrical automobile equipment in Nigeria.
“It was an accomplishment in this field that prompted the Nigeria Society of Engineers to confer on you the fellowship of the society in 2021. In the same year, you initiated a campaign to stop the depletion of Niger Delta rainforest.
“You took a step further by leading the Niger Delta human and environmental rescue organisation to advocate this and environmental justice in the region. With your undying spirit of public service, you embarked on a 14-day expedition into one of Niger Delta deep forests to produce a documentary on the impact of climate change and adverse environmental practices by inhabitants of the region.
“You collaborate with ecological enthusiasts, government, and private sector organisation to produce a two-hour documentary film that highlights the story of your people and lives in the creeks.”
Apart from Komolafe and Azibaola, others who will receive The Sun Awards 2023 are, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Groiup; Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman, Innoson Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Limited (Man of the Year); Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State (Governor of the Year); Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Prof Awa Kalu and Rev. Uma Ukpai (Lifetime Achievement Award); HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife and HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri (Most Impactful Royal Father of the Year).
Others are Amb Olufolake Abdulrazaq, wife of the Kwara State governor (First Lady of the Year); Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate, Labour Party (LP) (Political Icon of the Year); Dr. Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, Chairman/CEO, Richland Property and Homes Limited; Chief Kenneth Ifekudu (Agbalanze), Chairman, Diamond Leeds Ltd and Chief Peter Oge Obih, Chairman, Sea Map Group of Companies (Businessman of the Year); High Chief Christopher Ndubuisi, Chairman, Pinnatech Engineering Nigeria Limited; Dr. Oludare Akande, Chairman, Bellagio Air Limited and Dr. Jayne Onwumere, MD, Property World Africa Network (PWAN) Group (Investor of the Year); Dr. Uche Ogah, President, Masters Energy Group; Chief Celestine Ebubeogu, Chairman, Tiger Foods and Chief James Uzuh, Chairman, J_Jumac Industries Ltd (Industrialist of the Year); Chief Ikenna Okafor, Chairman, Keves Global Leasing Ltd; Lady Adaora Umeoji, DMD, Zenith Bank Plc and Archbishop Dr. Emeka Agwu, President, Voice of Evangelism International, Houston, Texas, USA (Humanitarian Service Icon); and Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), Chairman, Tantita Security (Courage in Leadership Award). Also, other award winners are Mr. Charles Odii, DG, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) (Public Service Award); Moruf Oseni, MD/CEO, Wema Bank and Mr. Femi Bakre, Managing Director, Parallex Bank (Banker of the Year); Bukola Olopade, MD/CEO, Nilayo Sports Management Ltd. (Sport Personality of the Year); Lady Ngozi Ezeonu and Tobi Bakre (Nollywood Icon of the Year).
