The Board of Directors and Custodians of the Hall of Grace (HoG) Awards have unveiled the awardees for the 2017 edition of the HoG Awards. Speaking at a press briefing recently, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Custodian of HoG, Mr. Rupert Ojenuwa said this year’s awards ceremony would be absolutely unique one as the awards will for the very first time in its seven years history give out an ‘All Time Award’.
“This year, we shall be giving out an ‘All Time Award’ and I am pleased to announce to you that the awardee or recipient of our All Time Award is His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria. For the first time there was a unanimous agreement by board members to honour him for his many strides in Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar is one name that resonates in Nigeria but only very few people know that he was actively involved in the quest to return the nation to democracy during the pre 1999 era. During his time as Vice President, he headed the economic team of President Olusegun Obasanjo-led federal government, during which time he helped establish bi-national ties that helped grow our GDP. Let me also mention that he was a major player in the botched third term agenda which would have spelt doom for our democracy as well as helping to save the democratic institution severally,” Ojenuwa said.
On other awardees for the day, he said since the 7th anniversary of the HoG Awards which is scheduled to hold on the 21st of May at the Civic Centre, Lagos was dedicated to celebrating democracy, the organisation has picked three governors, one from the North, another from the South and the third from the Central zones of the country who will also be celebrated for delivering dividends of democracy to the nation. Other awardees of the day include Wilma Aguele and Waheed Olagunju who will be honoured for their excellent strides in agriculture and in Bank of Industry.
