NLNG is highest tax paying company in Africa, says Omotowa

Awards $100,000 as Prize for Literature

THE Nigerian LNG Limited has been adjudged  one of the highest tax paying companies in Africa.

  Besides, the company has presented Prof Sam Ukala with an award of the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature.

  The Managing Director of the company, Babs Omotowa, said that the company has so far exported over four trillion of natural gas that would have been flared in the country and has continued to remit tax to the government.

  Omotowa said that the competition started with $20,000, 11 years ago, but has increased to $100,000, adding that the company will continue to support literal works despite fall in crude oil price.

   “I can assure you that despite challenges in our industry where energy price has fallen more than 60 percent, we remain fully committed ‎to this prize and to ensure its continuity,” Omotowa said.

  This process witnessed the total one hundred and twenty four works considered for Africa’s highest cash award for a literary laureate, progressively reduced to forty-nine, then twenty-five, later eleven, and an eventual three, before Professor Ukala was announced winner.

  “Nigeria LNG is happy to bring Professor Sam Ukala and his formidable work, Iredi War, to the public’s attention for celebration. This is one of the reasons why the prize was established in the first place— to celebrate outstanding Nigerian authors and their works,” said Kudo Eresia-Eke, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations Division.

  During his acceptance speech, Professor Sam Ukala acknowledged the integrity of the prize and paid homage to the other two final shortlisted authors, Friday John Abba and John Idada who were also present at the event.  “I feel fulfilled, grateful to God Almighty for the inspiration, talent and energy. I also feel indebted to NLNG for endowing the prize and processing the entries with utmost integrity and transparency through the appointment of an Advisory Board of truly honourable men, who, in turn, appointed persons of impeccable character as judges,” he said.

 “I also think the public presentation is a great idea. It might result in the promotion of theauthor and his work as well as the promotion of literature and literary artists in general. It might be a forum to spotlight the need for Nigeria to consciously cultivate and maintain a robust reading culture as a way of improving the standard of education in the country,” he concluded. He also shared plans to make Iredi War into a film, and host Nollywood actor Joseph Benjamin was quick to pitch himself for a role in the film.”