LEADERSHIP Awards, Mark Of Distinction, Dignity – Zenith Bank CEO, NSCDC Boss

The commandant- general, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi and the group managing director/chief executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, have both commended the LEADERSHIP Awards, describing it as a mark of distinction and dignity.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) named LEADERSHIP Government Agency 2022; while the GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, emerged LEADERSHIP CEO of the Year 2022.

They were carefully selected by the media company and would be honoured at the LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards 2022 ceremony in Abuja on January 31, 2023.

Dr. Audi said he would dedicate the award to his team that had worked tirelessly to the Corps around. He said the award would inspire him to work harder, noting that, among other achievements, he was particularly proud of the insurance policy for service members and the payment of outstanding salaries and benefits.

Speaking while receiving the top management team of LEADERSHIP Group Limited, led by the Editor-in –Chief/Senior Vice Chairman, Mr Azu Ishiekwene, accompanied by the group managing director, LEADERSHIP Group, Muazu Elazeh, who visited him to present the letter of notification of the award in Abuja, Dr. Audi described the award of Government Agency of the Year 2022 bestowed on the Corps as a mark of distinction that will help them live to their billing.

He expressed delight that the LEADERSHIP Government Agency Award nomination has further placed the NSCDC as torchbearers’ that should be emulated by other government agencies added that the meritorious recognition accorded them by the most influential Newspaper in the country, will not only renew their vigour but unveil more commendable activities and exploits by his gallant men and officers.

He said the agency’s nomination is a call to contribute more to the growth of Nigeria. He also applauded the paper for understudying their giant strides and considering them for what he termed as a prestigious award.

LEADERSHIP Group Limited’s Editor-in –Chief, Azu Ishiekwene, who presented the nomination letter to the Corps boss, Dr. Audi Ahmed explained that the NSCDC was found worthy of the award following visible and verifiable evidence of improvements in the quality of its leadership and service delivery, especially in the last one year.

Mr. Ishiekwene explained that the LEADERSHIP 2022 Award, which is the 14th in the series of awards, is in pursuit of the desire to carry on the legacies and traditions upon which LEADERSHIP Newspaper was established 22 years ago by Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.

He said, “Mr. Nda-Isaiah believed was the duty of the press to hold public officers to account, and also to encourage modelling of excellent service through public recognition of their efforts.”

Also, in a related event in Lagos, the GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu said the award commands respect and honour for the bank. He said, “We thank you for the honour. Thank you for the recognition. We have accepted because we know that you must have had an objective assessment, and we can assure you that we will live up to the respect and the dignity expected of having the award.”

He ascribed the 2022 LEADERSHIP CEO of the Year conferred on him to the founding vision of Zenith Bank ably led by its founder and chairman, Dr. Jim Ovia. Onyeagwu in the company of all the executive directors of his bank, while receiving the management team of LEADERSHIP Newspaper Group at its Zenith Bank head office in Lagos, dedicated the award to the efforts of the board of directors, management and staff of Zenith Bank.

The Zenith Bank group managing director who was elated by the visit and the honour of the award of the LEADERSHIP CEO of the year, promised that the bank will continue to uphold the values laid at its foundation whilst innovating to remain at the top of the Nigerian financial services industry.

He commended the management of LEADERSHIP for keeping up with the vision of its founder, the late Sam Nda-Isaiah.

The LEADERSHIP team was led by the vice chairman, Mike Okpere and accompanied by executive director, Abraham Nda-Isaiah; the director, southern operations, Bunmi Olowoyo and general manager, southern operations, Chima Akwaja delivered the official Notification of Award letter to him.

Mike Okpere, whilst noting that the Awards is already in its 14th year, said there had been in-depth research before, the GMD was named the Leadership CEO of the Year. According to him, Onyeagwu had been given the award for leading Zenith Bank to be the number one bank in Nigeria in a period of economic downturn, whilst contributing substantially to the community through several corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.