President Buhari to confer National Awards to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and four other Nsukka sons and Daughter
On the 11th of October 2022, President Buhari will confer national awards on Governor Ugwuanyi and four other Nsukka sons and daughter. They include Senator Chuka Utazi, the current senator representing Enugu North in the Senate; the former Vice Chancellor of Micheal Okpara University, Umudike; Prof. Hilary Edeoga; Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, the renowned professor of corporate governance and boardroom guru and Ms Josephine Ugwu, a cleaner at the International Wing of Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The five were among the over four hundred nominees for this year's award, which includes eminent Nigerians and some foreigners who have contributed immensely to the growth of the nation. Some of the nominees for the award include current World Trade Organization DG and former Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who will be awarded the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON). Other names on the list include multiple award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Professor of Medicine Ali Patte, and Innocent Idibia, among others.
According to the list made available by the state house media office, the president will confer Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Senator Chuka Utazi. Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN will be named an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). Prof Hilary Edeoga will be named an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) while Ms Josephine Ugwu will be decorated with a Federal Republic Medal (FRM II).
The five will join the club of eminent sons of Nsukka who have bagged the prestigious award, including late elder statesman Igwe Charles Abangwu (CON); former governor of old Enugu State, Dr Okesilieze Nwodo (CON); former Senate spokesman Ayogu Eze (CON); Legal Luminary, Dr (Mrs) Valerie Azinge SAN (OFR); Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Okafor Ofordile SAN (OON); Former Pro-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Vitta Abbah (OON); Former Chairman of National Planning Commission, Prof. Osita Ogbu (OON); Former ESUT Vc Prof. Cyril Onyeji (OON); Chairman, Peace Group of Companies, Samuel Maduka Onyishi (MON); Former president of Nigeria Institute of Management, Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko FNIM, (OON); the late transport mogul and founder of Ifesinachi Group of Companies, Igwe James Ogbonna Mamah (MFR); and team member of the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winning Golden Eaglets Team, Chidera Kennedy Ezeh (MON).
Ifeanyi was born on March 20th, 1964 in Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended the prestigious St. Theresa College, Nsukka, Enugu State before proceeding to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained his bachelor of science degree in Finance. He also holds a Master's degree in Marketing with a speciality in Public Relations from the same university. He also holds two separate Masters of Business Administration (MBAs) in Finance and Accounting from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been honoured with an honorary doctorate degree by three universities including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State University of Science and Technology as well as Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
Ifeanyi began his professional career when he joined the services of Premier Brokers and rose to the Chief Executive Officer before exiting in 2002. He contested and won the seat to represent the good people of the Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency in 2003. He was reelected in 2007 and 2011, making him the longest-serving member of the constituency. In the course of his parliamentary career, he served on different committees, including Public Accounts, Marine Transport, and Pensions.
The five were among the over four hundred nominees for this year's award, which includes eminent Nigerians and some foreigners who have contributed immensely to the growth of the nation. Some of the nominees for the award include current World Trade Organization DG and former Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who will be awarded the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON). Other names on the list include multiple award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Professor of Medicine Ali Patte, and Innocent Idibia, among others.
According to the list made available by the state house media office, the president will confer Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Senator Chuka Utazi. Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN will be named an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). Prof Hilary Edeoga will be named an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) while Ms Josephine Ugwu will be decorated with a Federal Republic Medal (FRM II).
The five will join the club of eminent sons of Nsukka who have bagged the prestigious award, including late elder statesman Igwe Charles Abangwu (CON); former governor of old Enugu State, Dr Okesilieze Nwodo (CON); former Senate spokesman Ayogu Eze (CON); Legal Luminary, Dr (Mrs) Valerie Azinge SAN (OFR); Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Okafor Ofordile SAN (OON); Former Pro-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Vitta Abbah (OON); Former Chairman of National Planning Commission, Prof. Osita Ogbu (OON); Former ESUT Vc Prof. Cyril Onyeji (OON); Chairman, Peace Group of Companies, Samuel Maduka Onyishi (MON); Former president of Nigeria Institute of Management, Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko FNIM, (OON); the late transport mogul and founder of Ifesinachi Group of Companies, Igwe James Ogbonna Mamah (MFR); and team member of the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winning Golden Eaglets Team, Chidera Kennedy Ezeh (MON).
The Profile of the Awardees
Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi (CON)
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| Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi |
Ifeanyi began his professional career when he joined the services of Premier Brokers and rose to the Chief Executive Officer before exiting in 2002. He contested and won the seat to represent the good people of the Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency in 2003. He was reelected in 2007 and 2011, making him the longest-serving member of the constituency. In the course of his parliamentary career, he served on different committees, including Public Accounts, Marine Transport, and Pensions.
In 2015, he was elected the fourth executive governor of Enugu state, becoming the second person of Nsukka extraction (after Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo) to be elected to the position.
Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi is from Orba, Udenu Local government Area and told the traditional title of Dunu Gburugburu1 of Orba.
Born on October 16th in Ama-Ezike, Nkpologu, in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, Chukwuka began his educational journey at Community Primary School Opanda-Nimbo, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1976. He also attended St. Vincent Secondary School, Agbogugu for his secondary education and finished in 1982 before proceeding to the College of Education, Awka. He later transferred his transcript to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he was awarded a degree in Government and Politics Education in 1982. He later got admitted to study law at the same University of Nigeria and graduated with a degree in law from the same university and was called to the Bar in 2004 after passing out of the Nigeria Law School.
His foray into politics started in 1991 when he contested and won the seat to represent the good people of the Uzo-Uwani state constituency in the Enugu state house of Assembly under the Social Democratic party and was also elected deputy speaker of the house of Assembly.
After the military coup of 1993 that saw the dissolution of the house by Gen. Sanni Abacha, Utazi left politics to focus on building a thriving business. Thus, he founded TAZ Oil and grew the brand to become popular in the southeastern region.
In 2007, Utazi made a comeback to partisan politics following his appointment as the Special Assistant to Governor Sullivan Chime on Legislative and Labor Matters. In 2011, he was appointed as the commissioner for Inter-governmental Affairs and was later deployed to the Transport ministry, a position he held till 2015 when he was elected senator to represent the people of Enugu North senatorial district. He was also reelected to a second term in 2019. He has led or been a member of the Anti-corruption, Interior, Marine, Judicial matters, Water Resources, Rules and Business, and Primary Health Care Committees in the Red Chamber.
He hails from Nkpologu in Uzo-Uwani, LGA of Enugu State.
Fabian was born on June 23rd, 1970. He had his primary education at St. Louis primary school, Kano, and his secondary education at Federal Government College, Kano. He then went to the University of Nigeria in Nsukka to get his first law degree.
Ajogwu also holds a Master's degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a PhD in Corporate Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is also an alumnus of some of the most prestigious schools in the world, including the Said Business School, the University of Oxford and the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, where he holds an MBA.
Fabian is currently a Professor of Corporate Governance at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos and also the principal Partner at Kenna Partners (A leading law firm with presence in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu).
A seasoned law professor, corporate governance expert, and boardroom guru, Prof. Ajogwu is the Lead Counsel to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its Agencies (Nigeria Communication Commission, Security and Exchange Commission, etc.) in several cases of national importance. He has extensive experience in deal structuring and has advised on complex transactions in several industries, including energy, maritime, banking and financial services, real estate, and infrastructure.
He sits on the boards of highly valued publicly traded companies, including Seplat Energy, STANBIC IBTC, and Guinness Nigeria PLC, among others.
He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the son of Dr Michael Ajogwu (SAN), a former Attorney-general of Enugu State and current chairman, of Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC).
He hails from Abbi, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Hillary Odo Edeoga was born on November 28th, 1960 at Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State. He obtained his WASSCE from Abakiliki High School, Ebonyi State, before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Botany in 1985. He later obtained his Master's and PhD in 1989 and 1991, respectively, from the same university.
He started his academic career at the then Bendel State University (now Ambrose Ali University), Ekpoma, where he rose to the rank of senior lecturer before transferring his services to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. At Umudike he served in different positions, including Head, Department of Biological Sciences, (2000–2001); Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (2001–2005); Dean, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, (2009–2011) before his appointment as the 4th Vice-chancellor, where he served from 2011 to 2016.
Aside from his core academic experience, he has also served in other roles, including Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Enugu State (2007-2009) and as a Senior Research Adviser, Shell Petroleum Development Company Nig. Ltd., Port Harcourt (2006 - 2007).
Prof. H. O. Edeoga was cited in the 2001 edition of Marquis "Who is Who in the World." He was also cited in the "Who is Who in Nigeria" (2003 and 2010 editions).
He hails from Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Josephine works as a cleaner at the international wing of the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. She holds a National Diploma from Our Saviour Institute of Science, Agriculture and Technology, Enugu.
She was looking for work for a while before finally finding success when she went to see a man of God and was put in touch with the person in charge of the airport cleaning service at Lagos's Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
Even though the little she receives from her job won't cover all of her expenses, she didn't try to cut corners. Instead, she found her inner ingenuity unleashed as a result of this.
She is so dedicated to her job that in addition to her regular duties, she also prepares light meals like pepper soup, Abacha, etc., to sell to the airport's customs, immigration, NDLEA employees, and any other interested parties. She also buys and sells empty plastic bottles to those in need.
When it comes to carrying out her responsibilities, Josephine has stood out for one main reason: her unwavering integrity.
On the 23rd of December, 2014, she was going about her job when she came across a missing sum of money: N3 million. After doing some digging, she tracked down the real owner and gave the money back to them. She returned another N600,000 that she found on December 27 of the same year.
In another incident from 2015, she refunded a sum of lost 28,000 USD, which at the current dollar conversion rate for Nigerian currency is equal to N12,000,000.
Things didn't really start to click until 2020, and this year she once again came upon a quantity of money—this time 17 million naira—and did what she did best: she returned it.
This time, the story made its way to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Josephine was rewarded with a house, given a pay rise and received the prestigious ICPC Integrity Award.
She hails from Obukpa in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi is from Orba, Udenu Local government Area and told the traditional title of Dunu Gburugburu1 of Orba.
Senator Chukwuka Godfrey Utazi (CON)
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| Sen. Chukwuka Utazi |
His foray into politics started in 1991 when he contested and won the seat to represent the good people of the Uzo-Uwani state constituency in the Enugu state house of Assembly under the Social Democratic party and was also elected deputy speaker of the house of Assembly.
After the military coup of 1993 that saw the dissolution of the house by Gen. Sanni Abacha, Utazi left politics to focus on building a thriving business. Thus, he founded TAZ Oil and grew the brand to become popular in the southeastern region.
In 2007, Utazi made a comeback to partisan politics following his appointment as the Special Assistant to Governor Sullivan Chime on Legislative and Labor Matters. In 2011, he was appointed as the commissioner for Inter-governmental Affairs and was later deployed to the Transport ministry, a position he held till 2015 when he was elected senator to represent the people of Enugu North senatorial district. He was also reelected to a second term in 2019. He has led or been a member of the Anti-corruption, Interior, Marine, Judicial matters, Water Resources, Rules and Business, and Primary Health Care Committees in the Red Chamber.
He hails from Nkpologu in Uzo-Uwani, LGA of Enugu State.
Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN (OFR)
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| Prof. Fabian Ajogwu |
Ajogwu also holds a Master's degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a PhD in Corporate Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is also an alumnus of some of the most prestigious schools in the world, including the Said Business School, the University of Oxford and the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, where he holds an MBA.
Fabian is currently a Professor of Corporate Governance at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos and also the principal Partner at Kenna Partners (A leading law firm with presence in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu).
A seasoned law professor, corporate governance expert, and boardroom guru, Prof. Ajogwu is the Lead Counsel to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its Agencies (Nigeria Communication Commission, Security and Exchange Commission, etc.) in several cases of national importance. He has extensive experience in deal structuring and has advised on complex transactions in several industries, including energy, maritime, banking and financial services, real estate, and infrastructure.
He sits on the boards of highly valued publicly traded companies, including Seplat Energy, STANBIC IBTC, and Guinness Nigeria PLC, among others.
He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the son of Dr Michael Ajogwu (SAN), a former Attorney-general of Enugu State and current chairman, of Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC).
He hails from Abbi, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Professor Hillary Edeoga (OON)
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| Prof. Hillary Edeoga |
He started his academic career at the then Bendel State University (now Ambrose Ali University), Ekpoma, where he rose to the rank of senior lecturer before transferring his services to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. At Umudike he served in different positions, including Head, Department of Biological Sciences, (2000–2001); Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (2001–2005); Dean, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, (2009–2011) before his appointment as the 4th Vice-chancellor, where he served from 2011 to 2016.
Aside from his core academic experience, he has also served in other roles, including Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Enugu State (2007-2009) and as a Senior Research Adviser, Shell Petroleum Development Company Nig. Ltd., Port Harcourt (2006 - 2007).
Prof. H. O. Edeoga was cited in the 2001 edition of Marquis "Who is Who in the World." He was also cited in the "Who is Who in Nigeria" (2003 and 2010 editions).
He hails from Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Josephine Ugwu (FRM II)
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| Josephine Ugwu |
She was looking for work for a while before finally finding success when she went to see a man of God and was put in touch with the person in charge of the airport cleaning service at Lagos's Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
Even though the little she receives from her job won't cover all of her expenses, she didn't try to cut corners. Instead, she found her inner ingenuity unleashed as a result of this.
She is so dedicated to her job that in addition to her regular duties, she also prepares light meals like pepper soup, Abacha, etc., to sell to the airport's customs, immigration, NDLEA employees, and any other interested parties. She also buys and sells empty plastic bottles to those in need.
When it comes to carrying out her responsibilities, Josephine has stood out for one main reason: her unwavering integrity.
On the 23rd of December, 2014, she was going about her job when she came across a missing sum of money: N3 million. After doing some digging, she tracked down the real owner and gave the money back to them. She returned another N600,000 that she found on December 27 of the same year.
In another incident from 2015, she refunded a sum of lost 28,000 USD, which at the current dollar conversion rate for Nigerian currency is equal to N12,000,000.
Things didn't really start to click until 2020, and this year she once again came upon a quantity of money—this time 17 million naira—and did what she did best: she returned it.
This time, the story made its way to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Josephine was rewarded with a house, given a pay rise and received the prestigious ICPC Integrity Award.
She hails from Obukpa in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
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