Publisher/Editor-In-Chief National Chronicle Newspaper, Tim Okojie Ave, has stressed the need to celebrate great Nigerians as inspirational symbols.
Speaking at the newspaper’s lecture series/ investiture awards held in Lagos, he disclosed it is expedient to promote men, women and organisations of good characters, transparent disposition, people of goodwill and Nigerians of tremendous prospect, accomplishments and noble virtues in order to re- engineer the country several steps ahead of the current state.
To this end, he added, “our aim is to showcase and celebrate men, women and organizations, who, against all odds, stand out like oasis in the desert of a lost hope. We want to appreciate lives of “positive distinction” amidst a rampaging collapse of core values, ethics, standard and virtues.”
In addition, he stated, “we would want to reiterate that our Awards are a clear departure from the conventional adoration of nuisance values and reverence for charlatans, where awards are sold to the highest bidders. National Chronicle newspaper award doesn’t belong to that junk.
Those that are being honoured today; are great Nigerians; they are eminent sons and daughters of Nigeria. They can be entrusted with great responsibilities, they are dependable and trustworthy; we therefore, present them to the world as well as vouch for their exemplary conduct.”
He disclosed in previous years, former the late President Musa Yar’Adua; current chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa; former Minister of Interior and Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; former Kogi State governor, Ibrahim Idris; former governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, have been celebrated.
In conclusion, he stated, “we have no doubt in our minds that Nigerians are not generally as bad as the world would want us to believe, and that Nigeria is truly, a land of great promise. The only solution to ending the current maladies is to build strong institutions in Nigeria like America, and not strong individuals alone.’
Prof of Political Science, Lagos State University (LASU) Sylvester Odion Akhaine spoke on, “The renewed hope agenda; securing Nigeria’s future: Matters arising.”
Saying the nation’s economy has not changed structurally, he urged government to prioritise agriculture.
Speaking further, he stated the currency is a symbol of sovereignty, adding it is not something that must be devalued anyhow.
In the area of education, he observed the numbers of universities have increased but the products being churned out of low standard.
Some of the awardees include, Nita Byack George from Kaduna State; the governor of Nasarawa, Abdulahi Sule, the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Christopher Musa; among others.
