By Jide Ajani and Clifford Ndujihe
IN the polity, business, religion and sciences, many things happen and steal the limelight. But those things that happen occur because of some forces of conscience and or nature. It is in relating with such events, particularly the personalities behind them, that determine our collective humanity. Some of those events or pursuits in life may be for good or for bad – good causes or bad causes, sometimes evil.
Therefore, this question becomes very pertinent: What motivates an individual to do good and great things? What’s the level of curiosity and insight available to ensure a determined engagement of a good deed or a good pursuit? A deeper interrogation of the thinking behind and the forces propelling such actions sometimes reveal motives that are at once plebeian and devoid of altruistic intentions.
In nominating individuals with a profundity of immense relevance to the objective of meeting the set criteria for Personality Of The Year, there is, therefore, a need to always ensure you get the buy-in of colleagues around the table, some, with their interests. Indeed, the interest of some editors was just to shoot down nominees made by others. Such is the nature of mere mortal man. For a few others, a tunnel vision was all that motivated their support for or antagonism against a nominee. Yet, for some, the mere mention of some names evoked a nostalgic feeling.
As usual – though early this time around because of the plethora of political activities scheduled for the first quarter of 2019 – the process for nominations had to be made earlier. It still spanned six weeks of rigorous debates from nominations to counter-nominations, defence, arguments and counter-arguments before a fianl vote on each category of persons, the ultimate objective was an excercise in recognising excellence.
It doesn’t come with any financial benefit but the mere action of recognising excellence in a polity that perpetually runs a discount of good deeds emblematises appreciation of good deeds.
Members of the Vanguard Board of Editors are always conscious of the need to elect nominees and vote accordingly with some things in mind: Would the eventual winners pass the integrity test? Would members of the public, while not in total agreement, be substantially convinced about the choice made in the face of cogent and verifiable reasons?
Can any member of the Board go into the public sphere and be able to convince fellow countrymen about the personality(ies) that have been so chosen to be honoured? Does the name of any of the winners come with the dangerous effluvium of public opprobrium? The sessions of the debate to choose the primus, the Personality Of The Year, is always enervating and comes with tantalising nominations, just as it also tolerates some names of personalities that cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered awe-inspiring. The editors have always been guided by a set of values that signposts predictors that engender success.
Below is a list of the categories and winners:
Personality of the year
For leading the largest African philanthropic initiative devoted to entrepreneurship, Mr. Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, an economist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp, and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF, is Vanguard’s Personality of The Year.
Governors of the year
Among the 36 states of the country, six governors stood out in their populist programmes that deepened the delivery of democracy dividends in their states in 2018 hence their nomination as governors of the year. They are Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara; Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto; Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom; and Senator Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo.
Businessman of the year
In acknowledgement of his immense contribution to oil and gas development in Africa through visionary leadership, service and transformational realignment of a sector dominated by international oil companies, as well as improving on the lives of people and societies across the African continent, Mr. Benedict Peters, founder of Aiteo Group, emerged as Vanguard’s Businessman of The Year.
Banker of the year
For steering Zenith Bank to distinguish itself in the banking industry through superior service quality, and unique customer experience among others, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank PLC, Mr. Peter Amangbo, was nominated as the Banker of The Year.
Humanitarian award
At a time of sectarian violence and killings in many parts of the country especially in the North-Central and North-West geo-political zones, the efforts of Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, 83, the Imam of Nghar village, Gashish District, Barkin Ladi Local Council of Plateau State, cannot go unnoticed and unrewarded. For hiding and shielding no fewer than 300 Christians in a mosque and thus saving them from being slaughtered, Vanguard is honouring Alhaji Abubakar with the 2018 Humanitarian Award.
Lifetime achievement awards
Eight elder statesmen and women were singled out for lifetime achievement awards on account of their invaluable and unblemished contributions to the wellbeing of the society.
They include: Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, Mrs. Leila Fowler, Rear Adnmiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs, General Alani Akinrinade, (retd); and Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Folorunso Abdul-Razaq, SAN.
Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State, who laid the framework for the development of Lagos, abolished evening primary and secondary education, and embarked on unassailable mass housing programme that is yet to be matched anywhere in the country almost 40 years after.
Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, a detribalised Nigerian, was at the forefront of the struggle to return Nigeria to democratic rule and has remained in the crusade to entrench and deepen democracy in the country.
Alhaji Abdul Ganiyu Folorunso Abdul-Razaq, OFR, SAN, nationalist, the first lawyer from Northern Nigeria, former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, and former legal adviser of the Northern People’s Congress, NPC, was one of those who fought for independence using his vast knowledge of the law as a weapon to end colonialism.
Chief Leila Euphemia Apinke Fowler, MFR, a lawyer, nurse, and educationist, and the Yeye Mofin of Lagos, has played crucial roles in moulding many Nigerians through her educational institutions.
High Chief Olu Benson Lulu Briggs, community leader, global businessman, philanthropist, humanist, caring and dotting family man and nationalist, who passed on penultimate week, won the editors’ recognition on account of his dexterity in taking care of the elderly in the society.
Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, the Igba of Warri, industrialist, who started her career as a broadcast journalist, has helped in engendering better life in the country through her strong advocacies on matters of crucial national importance.
Lt. General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade, CFR, FSS, and former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, was one of those who fought during the civil war and has remained unwavering in his crusade to ensure Nigeria becomes a better country where equity and justice reign supreme.
Source:
www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/the-need-to-reward-excellence/
