By Paulinus Nsirim
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is not a stranger to receiving awards or
attracting commendations and recognitions for his numerous heroic and
courageous acts.
His visionary leadership, astute, strategic governance and exemplary
crusading exploits as a man of the people, have all yielded a bountiful
harvest of awards over the years.
In fact, the shelves of his trophy cabinet are splendidly decorated with
an array of multiple plaques, silverware, mementoes and other memorial
items of recognition from multi-sectoral professional and academic
establishments.
Governor Wike’s recognition for his sterling, superlative leadership
accomplishments started even less than two years into his tenure as
Governor, when the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo bestowed on him
the title “Mr. Projects.”
According to the Vice President, the Governor deserves the appellation
of “Mr Projects” because of his high profile projects across the State.
The year 2017 was indeed a year of bumper harvest of awards for Governor
Nyesom Wike. The Leadership Newspaper crowned him as Governor of the
Year and according to the Group Managing Director of Leadership
Newspaper, Abdul Gombe, the nomination of the Rivers Governor as
Governor of the Year, was endorsed by two former Heads of State and a
Supreme Court Justice.
That year alone, Governor Wike bagged the Silverbird Man of the Year,
Sun Newspaper Governor of the Year, New Telegraph Man of the Year and
Independent Newspaper Political Icon of the Year.
In 2018, Governor, Nyesom Wike was nominated for the prestigious
International Sports Press Association-Africa (AIPS) Africa Power of
Sports (POS) Award (in addition to the other awards he was conferred
with that year) and that, by the way, is how the POS initials became
attached to his introductory citation.
In a nomination letter to the Rivers State Governor, dated 26th March,
2018, President AIPS Africa, Mitchell Obi, said Wike is being recognised
for his remarkable fidelity in raising the bar of sports matters and
using sports as a catalyst for development.
In 2019, The Badminton Confederation of Africa nominated the Rivers
State Governor for the “Award for Distinguished Service to Sports in
Africa.”
Speaking during a Courtesy Visit to the Rivers State Governor at the
Government House, Port Harcourt , President, Badminton Confederation
Africa (BCA), Mr Tukebana Bau praised Governor Wike for his support for
the growth of Badminton in Africa.
He said: “We acknowledge your support and passion for Badminton in
Africa. For this reason, the Badminton Confederation Africa Board
resolved to honour you with the prestigious award for your distinguished
service to sports in Africa.
Hallmark Man of the Year 2020 was what Governor Wike used to crown his
developmental strides in a year when governance was at a very low ebb
because of COVID-19.
Governor Wike had in the preceding years, established an excellent track
record of winning special, uncommon and distinguished awards and thus it
was, that it didn’t come as a surprise to many, when the management of
Silverbird Group announced that they were going to confer a special
award on Governor Wike; the “2020 Extra Ordinary Personality of the
Year Award.”
The announcement, which had been on on the airwaves for several weeks,
was formally affirmed on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, as a powerful
delegation, led by Mr. Jacob Akinyemi Johnson, the Silverbird Creative
Development General Manager, were in Government House, Port Harcourt, to
officially present the letter of nomination.
Those who know Governor Wike very well, will easily confirm that the
Rivers State Governor is not one to solicit for or be easily swayed
with awards.
He does not subscribe to receiving any kind of award where the awardees
neither have reputational mettle nor established credibility in their
constituency.
As a matter of fact, Governor Wike made his views on awards very clear
when the national leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) paid
him a courtesy visit on Friday, October 30, 2020.
He used the opportunity of that visit to urge journalists to hold
government officials accountable, rather than give them awards on the
basis of “friendship.”
“What I have seen of you is that you praise us and give us award because
of relationship or friendship. That’s not the way it should be.
Challenge us — the people in authority; and we will sit up to our
responsibilities. We will have no choice than to perform and serve the
people as it should be.
“My support for you has to do with the fact that you are supposed to
tell the truth of what is happening in Nigeria. There is a need for
journalists to put in more efforts as the strong voice and conscience of
the society”, he told the leadership of the NGE.
Indeed, anyone who listens regularly to Silverbird’s Rhythm 93.7 FM
Station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, will agree that it is one of the
few independently owned Radio stations that has exhibited commendable
professionalism in handling its core journalistic responsibility.
The Station has often been praised for delivering factual, honest and
substantiated reportage thus offering constructive and objective
criticism where necessary.
They are also known for highlighting stories and reports that celebrate
achievements of good governance and add value to collective existence.
It is therefore a remarkable reflection of the very exceptional
standards of the Silverbird Group, that a leading and very prominent
figure in the Nigerian socio-political space like Governor Wike, should
quite appropriately be conferred with the “2020 Extra Ordinary
Personality Award,” an award which literally captures the quintessential
leadership essence and the courageous public spirited advocacy of the
phenomenal Governor.
Corroborating what has now become generally accepted and greatly admired
by many, as the core extra ordinary attributes of Governor Wike, the
Silverbird Creative Development General Manager, Jacob Akinyemi Johnson,
said the award is to let the Governor know that he is doing a fantastic
job for the people of Rivers State and Nigeria and his actions have not
gone unnoticed.
“Your boldness made you the first prominent Nigerian to raise the alarm
over the atrocities of the now disbanded SARS. And you also spoke
against the politicisation of security. Now your forthrightness in
telling the truth to power including the presidency when you think
things are going wrong, is worthy of emulation. You did not hesitate to
commend when necessary also. And on political issues, you are not afraid
to tell even your own party, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) the whole
truth when necessary. ”
“There are very few Governors like you who walk the talk and there are
very few Governors like you who have the passion and are not
sentimental. You say things the way they are and you also say the things
that you believe in.
“So we sat back and we said the person we can think of this year is your
Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. Also in the area of projects, the last
time I was here, you were referred to as Mr. Projects. Now you have been
elevated to Mr. Quality Projects.
“You promised on the day you were sworn in for second term that you will
work for Rivers State people to the very last day and you are living up
to that task. Seven bridges in a record period of time and all these
were embarked upon in 2020 when the country and indeed the entire world
were greatly impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic, but you still
delivered.”
Governor Wike, in accepting the nomination, was as usual, candid and
honest, by first graciously thanking the management of Silverbird for
the honour bestowed on him and the people of Rivers State by deeming him
worthy to be conferred with an award of such deep, illuminating and
connotative magnitude.
He did not however fail to take a swipe at the Media for losing their
voice in the face of bad governance that has bedevilled the country.
Governor Nyesom Wike is indeed an Extra Ordinary Personality and leader,
the like of which has arguably never been seen on the Nigerian socio-
political landscape in his present status as a State Governor and even
his critics will agree, albeit reluctantly, that if any Nigerian leader,
statesman or prominent public figure truly deserves the “2020 Extra
Ordinary Personality of the Year Award”, then nobody is better qualified
and more deserving of the Award than the outstanding “Mr. Quality
Projects” himself.
The award is well deserved and simply corroborates and endorses what
Rivers people are saying on the streets of Port Harcourt and across the
length and breadth of the State in pidgin English: “Wike dey work.
Everybody dey see am”.
Nsirim is the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers
State