The comptroller -general, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Isah Idris Jere, has described the LEADERSHIP Public Service Person award bestowed on him as a landmark history and an achievement for him and the service.
Jere said the Service would save the award in its institutional archive.
The Immigration boss who expressed appreciation to LEADERSHIP for the opportunity to be a part of its noble history said, the recognition further points to the fact that hard work pays.
“For me, this is an act of encouragement, kindness and generosity. It will further motivate me to work harder, attain more heights and hopefully, press harder to eliminate the challenges of effective border policing and all other related issues,” he said.
A visibly elated Jere spoke when he received the letter of nomination presented to him by the group managing director, LEADERSHIP, Muazu Elazeh, yesterday.
He said, “For me, LEADERSHIP has earn a pride of place in my mind because it has continued to set a standard for journalism practice. This award will remain indelible in the heart of the Nigeria Immigration Service, and my family.
“While it is often said that to whom much is given, much is expected, I want to promise that we will do more exploits to prove that your choice is right. I want to categorically say that this cherished award also extends to my officers and men who execute the reforms my administration introduced.”
Earlier, the group managing director of LEADERSHIP Group, Muazu Elazeh, who led the delegation to formally present the nomination letter to Comptroller Jere said his nomination was in recognition of the enduring reforms he is implementing at the NIS.
Elazeh explained that the award was meant only for distinguished Nigerians who standout in their various fields of endeavours noting that Jere clinched the award based on his laudable achievements and result oriented reforms at the NIS as justified by his track records.
“You have proven by your glaring records that you are a strategist, a dynamic leader and a project and result executor,” he said.
Elazeh, who further described Jere as a visioner who has a very good understanding of his mandate said, “Today, the totality of your efforts has given the NIS a face it can hold onto and a pride of place.”
The GMD, who was conducted round the NIS technology building for- an- on- the spot assessment, lauded the CG for successfully migrating all passport offices in the country to enhance electronic passport platforms in three geo-political zones, as well as in London and the US passport offices within six months.
It would be recalled that the Management of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group announced, last month, the list of its 2022 awardees with the trio of the NIS boss, Jere Idris, the chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Muhammad Mamman Nami and the Director- general, Industrial Trust Fund, Joseph Ari clinching the LEADERSHIP Public Service Persons of the Year.
In other categories, the Chairman/CEO of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Gen Buba Marwa (rtd) and the duo of the President of Afrexim Bank, Prof Benedict Oramah and world athletics champion, Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan, emerged as Persons of the Year.
A statement by management of LEADERSHIP said Marwa, who is currently a nightmare to drug barons in Nigeria, was also awarded Person of the Year for his giant strides in the war against drugs, particularly for making the biggest drug busts in the history of the country and repositioning a government agency that had been long moribund.
According to the Newspaper, Prof Oramah jointly won the coveted award for his numerous noble accomplishments across the world, standing him out as an extraordinary ambassador of his country, Nigeria, in his career and service to the country and the continent.
World athletics champion, Amusan, also made the prime honours roll for breaking Gail Devers’ 22-year-old record to defend the Diamond League 100 metres hurdle title in a winning time of 12.29secs, with her latest title, the Diamond League, adding to the plethora of records and titles she achieved in 2022.
“The defining criterion for this category is rewarding person(s) who have made extraordinarily positive impact on our lives through achievements that inspired and continue to inspire the country,” the Management statement said.
Also, for the year 2022, three state governors were jointly nominated for the award of LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year. They are Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; and Ifeanyi Ugwanyi of Enugu State.
The governors were awarded for “programmes that significantly transformed lives in their communities and for relatively transparent public records and proven interest in infrastructural development and business.”
Governor El-Rufai, who was a nominee last year, jointly won the award for his leadership, especially his effort to transform Kaduna State by delivering a strong economy, unprecedented infrastructural development and reforming the state public service and institutions into a lean but effective civil service.
Governor Abiodun also won in the Governor of the Year category for his focused and audacious efforts at infrastructural development and his strides in expanding the business profile of the state.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi made the Governor of the Year 2022 for putting the state on the path of economic independence, a feat for a state governor, and driving significant infrastructural development across the state, in spite of the security challenges in the region.
In another category, the Award for Politician of the Year 2022 went to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, whose political resilience and doggedness have held the country spellbound since the presidential primaries of the People’s Democratic Party in May.
Bank of the Year was clinched by LOTUS Bank for its innovativeness and returns on shareholder value; LEADERSHIP Social Impact Person of the Year went to Tunde Onakoya and the proprietor of the Home for the Needy Foundation, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho.
The Banker of the Year Award went to the Managing Director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs Nneka Onyealu-Ikpe, for the bank’s outstanding commitment in supporting small businesses and under-funded sectors; while the Business Person of the Year was won by the Managing Director/CEO of Mojec International Holdings, Ms. Chantelle Abdul.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) won the Government Agency of the Year 2022 for the significant strides made by the corps in the last one year.
Other winners are Company of the Year, won by Bua Foods, adjudged “the company with the best performing stock on the Exchange this year”; Brand of the Year, Coleman Cable and Wire; and Telecoms Company of the Year won by MTN Nigeria, for its outstanding value proposition, and leading edge in product and service experience.
Product of the Year was won by Mama Pride, one of the fastest-growing brands of household rice.
The CEO of the Year went to the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, for his audacious entrepreneurial spirit and also the dominance and resilience of the bank’s brand.
LEADERSHIP Oil & Gas Local Content Champion of the Year was clinched by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr. Simbi Wabote; while the e-Commerce Company of the Year award went to Pocket Money.
This year, the Artiste of the Year award went to the Buga crooner, Kiss Daniel.
The LEADERSHIP Sports Persons of the Year award went to FIFA Under-17 female world cup team, the Flamingoes of Nigeria who recently won several medals for Nigeria in the August 5-24, 2016 Summer Olympics Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; while a 13-year-old primary 4 talented boy from Borno State, Musa Sani, who redesigned Maiduguri flyover using mud, won the LEADERSHIP Outstanding Young Person of the Year award.
The LEADERSHIP awardees would receive their awards during the newspaper’s annual conference with the theme ‘Credible Election and an Economy in Transition’ slated to hold on January 31, 2023 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
