.pix show Gov .Suswam and the First Couple of Nigeria,President Goodluck and First Lady,Patience Jonathan in a celebratory mood.
The Who-is-Who in Nigeria Democracy
Awards held recently in the UK. It had
Categories such as the Most Outstanding
Governors, Emerging Political
Phenomenon, Head of Government
Agency, Ministers, Senators, Honorable
members, State Speakers , LGA Chairmen
and Youth Crusaders
This event, we learnt from a member of
the organising Committee, Comrade Tosin
Adeyanju honours notable Nigerians or
group who have served the people well.
This particular one which held in Central
London considered icons in the current
Nigerian democratic experience from
1999 till date. The Central Association
of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK) led by
Chief Bimbo Afolayan gave its backing
to the ceremony after a scrutiny of the
awardees and enjoined Nigerians to
back the Goodluck Jonathan government
rather than just criticizing. CANUK, he
revealed, is working earnestly for people
in the diaspora to participate fully in
future elections in Nigeria.
Winners include Hon Femi
Gbajabiamila (Outstanding Honourable
Member of the House of Representsstive)
who dedicated his award to the
member of the NYSC who died
during the last election.Amb.Dickson
Akoh,the National Commandant
of Peace Corps (Youth Crusaders
of our time),while the outstanding
Governors award goes to Fashola of
Lagos, Gabriel Suswam(Benue),Aliyu
Wamako(Sokoto),(represented by Hon
Dalhiru Meshanu,who dedicated the
award to Nigerians in diaspora),Sullivan
Chime(Enugu) and Adamu Aliero(Kebbi)
amongst others. The next edition we
gathered comes up in 2015.
Speaking at the Ceremony, Governor
Gabriel Suswam of Benue State said those
in leadership should communicate with
the people and those in diaspora should
have a positive attitude towards Nigeria.
Most news in the diaspora portrays a
no win situation hence discouraging
investors and tourists, he lamented.
The Nigerians in the diaspora he
continued have a lot to do in this regard.
If one believes nothing can work then
there is a problem. He enjoined people
to come home and contribute their
quota to the nation’s development. The
difference between the UK and Nigeria
he announced is infrastructure but many
people sacrificed decades ago to ensure
what the UK is enjoying now.
He decried a situation where Nigerians
send their children to Ghana to study
despite the fact that Ghana is not better and this does
not speak well of us. He assuresed that a
lot is being done to deliver the dividends
of democracy especially in Lagos where
the Governor, he says is exemplary. A visit
to Benue also echoes similar improvement
hence our attitude must change in terms
of jobs and believing in Nigeria.
Benue is doing a lot in terms of
agriculture as people with the technical
know-how, for example, the governments
of China and Austria are being invited to
collaborate with the Benue government.
Also, loans are being looked into for
farmers to expand their projects so as to
ensure Benue state retains its reputation as
the food basket of Nigeria, he concluded.
pix:alashock's .blog,fabrimimi
