Ex President, Goodluck Jonathan, Captain of industry, Otunba Alex Onabanjo, Captain Hosa Okunbor & Tony Elumelu, Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Former 1st Lady, Turai Yar’Adua & Former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, will be recipients of distinguished public service awards put together by the Patriots In Leadership And Service (PILAS). Others are Chief Edwin Clarke, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Nyesom Wike, Hassan Dakwambo, Segun Mimiko, Senators, Danjuma Laah, and Phillips Aduda.
The awards ceremony comes up on June 4, 2016 (about 30 days time) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. On the list of recipients also include TB Joshua, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, Bamanga Tukur, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, Princess (Hon) Omosede Igbinedion, Tolu Ebun, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun and many others.
Some of the categories are Man of the Year ( Jonathan), Woman of the Year (Turai Yar’Adua), Special Honors, ( Ekweremadu, Sheriff, Elumelu); Entrepreneurship, Business Development, ( Onabanjo, Elumelu, Ogah, Captain Okunbor and Alakija); while Lifetime, Intergrity awards go to Ekwueme, Igbinedion, Oyedokun, Gowon, Tukur and Clark. According to the PILAS president, Paul Utho, ” the ceremony is designed to identify exceptional achievements in Nigeria public service, which includes identifying distinguished Nigerians who have impacted positively in their area of specialization”,
The awards aim to also celebrate their achievements and ensure they are highlighted and placed at the fore alongside achievers as a means of ensuring that they remain a reference point”
Utho added that through ” the recognition and celebration of these distinguished men and women, others will be encouraged to make genuine efforts to deepen our core values as a nation” Professionalism & Dynamism