• Editor, The Sun, Mr. Iheanacho Nwosu (right), presenting letter of nomination as The Sun Most Impactful Royal Father-of-The-Year 2023 to Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III
The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has expressed delight at his selection for The Sun Most Impactful Royal Father Award 2023, promising to continue doing his best for the good of Itsekiriland and Nigeria.
Atuwatse III and 33 others will be honoured at The Sun Awards ceremony billed to hold on February 17, 2024 in Lagos.
In his remarks when the management of The Sun Publishing Limited, led by the Managing Director, Mr. Onuoha Ukeh, presented a letter on his award to him in Warri, Delta State, Atuwatse III thanked The Sun for recognising his passion to better the lives of Itsekiri people.
He said that Nigeria posses the right leaders, but yet to get it right despite its huge potentials.
The monarch said: “I am glad that you have come. We are humbled by this gesture. We are delighted to have been nominated for such a prestigious honour.
“We really do have that passion, that desire to see our area, our people’s lives bettered, beyond Itsekiri, and even beyond Warri.
“Nigeria is a great country, and Nigerians are, as we say, looking for good examples in leadership across the board – traditional, business, political, social – they are looking for good leadership. And it’s really a daunting task.
“It’s not easy. If it was easy, this would be a better country. But I guess sometimes, these things are not supposed to be easy. That is why we look to God to help us. It’s not easy dealing with human beings, many interests and many considerations.
“But God will continue to guide us, and hopefully, it will translate to our people, and it will translate to tangible benefits for their betterment. So we are looking forward to the day of the award. And God willing, by the grace of God, we will be there.”
Earlier, The Sun MD, represented by the Editor, Daily Sun, Mr. Iheanacho Nwosu, had informed the first class monarch that he was nominated for the award by the Board of Editors of the organisation because of his pursuit for peace, bridge-building across tribes, ethnicities and religion, philanthropy as well as a robust economic and financial empowerment agenda for the people of Itsekiri, Warri, Delta State, and the Niger Delta, among others.
He said: “We are aware that you are a serial entrepreneur – the founder of Noble Nigeria Limited; Coral Curator Limited; Chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited; Director, Gulf of Guinea Limited; and Vessel Link Big Limited,” and has brought his finess to bear in Itsekiri Kingdom.
Listing Atuwatse III’s achievements, he said: “In just two years of your ascension to the throne of your forefathers, you have attracted fame from within and outside the country. Within the short period, the institution of Olu of Warri has been modernised and energised. This was achieved through your dint of hard work and determination to ensure that peace, unity and prosperity exist in the kingdom.
“On the day of your coronation, you stunned the world by reversing an age-long curse placed on Nigeria by your grandfather, Olu Erejuwa II, over injustice meted out to him. At the heart of this royal gesture was your desire for the land and its people to prosper.
“You brought your skill as a serial entrepreneur to the fore when you hosted the Iwere Economic Summit. Being the first of its kind, the summit brought major stakeholders together to plan the future of the Itsekiri nation.
“Through your cardinal programme of reaching out to neighbouring kingdoms and traditional rulers, you have impacted Warri Kingdom by building bridges across communities and ethnic divides for peaceful coexistence.
“At the second anniversary of your coronation, you made a firm promise to renovate Agbofen, the Palace in Warri; and to reconstruct that of Ode Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiri. This marked the beginning of your efforts to develop the kingdom.
“Owing to your philosophy of strengthening the bonds of brotherhood, you laid down plans to develop areas that produce oil in Iwereland and link them to areas that don’t have oil. We are reliably informed that this has already commenced as part of your strategy to speed up development.
“The people of Warri Kingdom were elated when you assured them that you were going to use the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to execute the master plan of Iwereland.”
Other people receiving The Sun Awards along OgiameAtuwatseIII are: Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Groiup, Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Chief InnocentChukwuma, Chairman, InnosonMotor 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); Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Rev. Uma Ukpai and Prof Awa Kalu, SAN (Lifetime Achievement Award); HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife (Most Impactful Royal Father).
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); Dr. Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, Chairman/CEO, Richland Property and Homes Limited, Lagos; 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 Airlines 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, Kevs 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); Amb. Dr. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, First Lady, Kwara State and Founder, Ajike People Support Centre (First Lady of the Year); Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), Chairman, Tantita Security (Courage in Leadership Award).
Other award winners are, Mr. Robert Azibaola, Founder; Zeetin Engineering Limited; Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, CEO, Nigerian Upstream Petroluem Regulatory Commission and 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).