Southern Kaduna will, today, bestow the highest awards of Southern Kaduna Grand Commander (SKGC) on former Military Administrator of old Rivers State, Major-General Zamani Lekwot (rtd), and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd).

Also on the SKGC list is the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The honour will be given at the maiden edition of the festival, tagged Southern Kaduna Festival 2023.
The zone has also identified prominent sons and daughters, including the late Wazirin Jema’a, Aliyu Mohammed and Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa for their sterling contributions in the development of the area.

The Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the event, Rear Admiral Fergusson Dukas Bobai (rtd), who made the disclosure, indicated that the awards will also give honour to the memories of leaders from the zone and also acknowledge the contributions of leaders, both past and present, in the development of the zone.

Bobai said: “The essence of this festival is to celebrate our unity in diversity and bestow awards to deserving sons and daughters, including prominent Nigerians that are not indigenes of the zone, who have contributed to our development as a region. There will also be sporting activities, beauty pageant amongst 57 ethnic nationalities in the zone, among other competitions.”

According to the event planners, SKGC posthumous awardees are late Ibrahim Yakowa, who died in a helicopter crash in December 2013, while serving as governor of Kaduna State. Another posthumous SKGC recipient is former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Wazirin Jema’a, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed.