Following his extraordinary leadership style and his ability to make Delta State not rely on oil alone, the Silverbird Group has named the state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan as its Man of the Year.
The governor beat other prominent and hardworking Nigerians to emerge winner of the prestigious award through a public voting system.
The organisers of the award announced Uduaghan as winner on Thursday, January 1, 2015 after the voting was stopped on December 31, 2014.
A press statement issued by the Silverbird Group, owners of Silverbird Television and Rhythm FM, explained that Uduaghan’s massive investment in infrastructure and his success at restoring and sustaining peace and security in the state got many Nigerians to vote for him.
The statement added that part of the consideration for the governor’s emergence was his sterling performance in health signposted by the free medical care for children and the elderly as well as the free maternal care for pregnant women.
Also, his micro-credit scheme initiative, where over 111,000 Deltans have been empowered to set up their own businesses, got many voters to have interest in him.
Speaking on the latest award, the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, said it is a just reward for a man that has devoted his energy to creating a new national mentality on development through his Delta Beyond Oil initiative.
Ogeah said, “While others concentrate on projects that would have immediate impact, Uduaghan looks at the big picture with an eye on the future.
“Without losing sight of the need for short term projects, he has given Deltans a new belief in their ability to venture into profitable businesses through the Delta State Micro-Credit Scheme.
“Many of the beneficiaries have become employers of labour and with the N500 million recently pumped into the scheme through the collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, more ventures will be set up in various parts of the state.
“Young budding entrepreneurs are very upbeat about this because Dr. Uduaghan has paid the interest on the entire amount upfront.
“In effect, beneficiaries will get the loan interest-free.”
The commissioner said that having superintended a crisis and rancour-free primary in the state, Uduaghan will continue to work assiduously in delivering the dividends of democracy to Deltans until the final day of his tenure.
It would be recalled that in the last weeks of 2014, Uduaghan raked some awards including the BusinessDay Governor of the Year award in health category in its Good Governance and State Competitiveness Award; the Pilot newspaper Governor of the Year award; the BEN Television award in micro-credit and job creation; and Africa Independent Television’s award as Governor of the Year.
Past winners of Silverbird Man of the Year Award, which is now in its 10th year, include late Prof. Dora Akunyili, former Minister of Information; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, one-time Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Dr. Mike Adenuga, the Chairman of Globacom; and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Others are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and former Governor of the Central Bank
