The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has conferred on Barr. Emmanuel Ugwu a life achievement award in recognition of his excellent and exceptional performance in the public service of the country.
The event which took place yesterday at the SERVICON office in Enugu, was well attended by the NANS delegates from the presidency, Abuja, and few invitees from the state in line with the NCDC COVID-19 protocol guidelines.
While conferring the NANS ICON OF HOPE award on Barr. Ugwu, the president of the apex students body in the country, Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan, noted that the award was only reserved for few Nigerians who have distinguished themselves over the years in their fields of endeavor.
According to him, Barr. Ugwu was the first recognised individual from the south east zone to be conferred with such a rare and prestigious award having been found distinguished and unblemished both in character and integrity after going through his past and present records even without his knowledge.
The president who was represented by Comrade Attah Felix, a former vice president of NANS who also doubles as Chairman, Award Committee, lauded the exceptional reforms brought to bear in the public service by the recipient of the award. He noted that such outstanding legacy would continue to serve as a challenge for the younger generation to serve their country with the spirit of dedication and patriotism.
Comrade Attah while officially welcoming the Icon into the “struggle” noted that in Nigeria, the NANS ICON OF HOPE was a prestigious recognition which many desired but very few were found worthy of it. He extolled the selfless service which the recipient has always carried along wherever he found himself, and called on Nigerians to emulate him if the country was to move forward.
The Secretarial Speech which was presented on behalf of the NANS President by the Zone C Coordinator, Comrade Friday Daniel reads in part: “Your exceptional qualities in administration have had an unequal match. The ingenuity in your professional proof is sighted in providing real time data to ensure the future safety and progress of the society and ensuring a crime free society.
“Indefatigable leaders sir, distinguished comrades here present, ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria students have come to signify a systematisation of leadership, a father defined, a true Christian that has the fear of God in the discharge of his duties, a patron reincarnated and the catalyst of a human developer for the presentation of NANS ICON OF HOPE in recognition of his unsurpassed performance in his leadership style, determination for workable Nigeria, resilience in the quest for administrative duties, concerted effort in ensuring peace, progress and human capital development, unprecedented action plan for the progress of Enugu State.”
The NANS Zone C Coordinator further added that the ICON OF HOPE awardee would continue to be cheered among his peers as an embodiment of integrity, discipline, character, probity, transparency and accountability, and goal-driven oriented. Quoting from Martin Luther, an American rights activist, the Coordinator stated that Barr. Ugwu was a leader principally driven neither by the love for money nor for material quest such as fame and publicity but by love for justice and humanity.
The climax of the event was the presentation of the award and decorations of the new ICON OF HOPE in the country, Barr. Emmanuel C. Ugwu, who, until the conferment of the award and grand decoration is a serving Permanent Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer to the Governor of Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Reacting to the development, the Enugu State Auditor General, Mr. Okoro Livinus, expressed satisfaction with the conferment of the prestigious award on the Icon adding that the Icon had always displayed what he described as a spirit of “understanding, simplicity, integrity, compassion and discipline”. He enumerated the reforms that the state civil service had witnessed under the watch of the recipient while serving as a Permanent Secretary to the Enugu State Civil Service Commission. He commended the NANS for finding him (Barr. Ugwu) worthy for the award among others after the objective assessments.
Meanwhile, a Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State on Public Enlightenment, Rt. Hon. Rt Hon Kizito Awalu, has hailed the students body for the timely recognition of the trailblazing administrator, Barr. Emmanuel Ugwu. According to him, the award would spur the Permanent Secretary and Chief Administrator to do more in supporting the laudable projects the administration of Governor Ugwuanyi has been executing over the past years.
While congratulating him, the state government’s image maker urged the recipient not to relent in his efforts in redefining a public service where everyone would queue behind the state government and work together for the betterment of the maximum number of the citizens.
He said he was not surprised when the news of the award filtered into the air. He stated that the award was long over due considering the unassailable antecedents of the down-to-earth administrator. He pointed at his intimidating profiles both in education and in public administration.
In the same vein, a senior civil servant in the state, Mr. Nnadi Titus, has described the award as meritorious and a recognition of dedication and sterling contribution of the awardee towards the progress of the state civil service. Titus who described Barr. Ugwu as a “teaching father in the public service” adding that the conferment of the ICON OF HOPE award on him was historic. He stated that the friendly administrator was his boss and mentor in the service having helped him to be innovative and proactive especially in a work environment where one would have to work meticulously under pressure.
On his part, while commending the NANS body for finding him “fit and proper”, the recipient of the award, Barr. Ugwu, also expressed profound gratitude on the conferment of the award and promised to continue to bear the light and keep the hope alive. He thanked the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Governor Ugwuanyi, for giving him the opportunity to serve under his administration as the Chief Administrative Officer, and also commended his workaholic spirit in his determination to make Enugu State great again.
Barr. Ugwu who was trained as a legal practitioner at the prestigious University of Nigeria further dedicated the award to the performing Governor of Enugu State and the good people of the state. He stated that without the Governor’s support, he couldn’t have achieved all he had been credited. According to him, Governor Ugwuanyi would continue to serve as a source of inspiration and new face for excellent reforms in the public service.
