Garlands for Nigeria’s Silent Heroes 

The Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards is a non governmental organisation which recognises humanity with an award that expresses gratitude of the society for their kindness towards fellow individuals, families, community and environment and their silent heroic service to country. 

Recently, its fourth edition held in Abuja and  19 Nigerians comprising journalists, professionals, captains of industry and security personnel were recognised for positively impacting humanity through their respective endeavours, CHIEMELIE EZEOBI reports 

For their silent contributions to the development of  society at large, 19 Nigerians were recently honoured at the fourth edition of the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards (NSHA). Held at the Ball room, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, the awardees comprised journalists, professionals in specialised fields including the oil and gas sector, as well as security personnel. 

Some of the silent Heroes for this year’s award include the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; Rt Hon Ndudi Elumelu; Dr. Mabel Magbulu, CEO of Eagles Height Estates;  and Comrade Ejiro Wisdom Otarigho, the heroic tanker driver, who drove a burning truck away from a densely-populated area in Delta State to avert a disaster which could have claimed many lives.

Themed “BREAK THE BARRIER, DREAM AGAIN’, “this year’s edition recognised farmers, artisans, technocrats and uniformed people oiling our nation’s wheel of progress, as well as deliberately and silently shaping our nation for our next generation,” the NSHA Convener, Odita Sunday-Udemaguna said.

Nominations 

First came the nominations and some of the categories include silent heroes in policing and intelligence,  SME Industry, hero of maritime security and business, ICT development, telecommunication, transparent banking culture, hero of faith,  social justice and worker’s welfare, as well as crime and disaster reporting. 

Others were silent heroes in philanthropy, oil and gas sector development, developmental journalism, hero in broadcasting, school quality advocacy, amongst several others.

Selection Process 

For the organisers, the process to select the crop that were honoured was a Herculean task as it was imperative they do not deviate from their vision of honouring silent heroes in the society.  

According to NSHA Project Director,  Mrs. Sonia Odita Sunday-Udemaguna, the initiative was anchored on a process of identification, recognition and celebration of those whose life activities have positively impacted humanity within or outside their own immediate environment.

“They were carefully nominated among millions of others in view of the outstanding contributions they have made silently over the years in their various spheres to add value to humanity.

“In all honesty, I must say that the awardees in their individual capacities and activities, particularly in the public space; have remained humble and not audacious in self-praise, in spite of their outstanding achievements; hence we have chosen to honour them as Silent Heroes.”

Award Ceremony 

At the ceremony, dignitaries wined and dined before the award proper. At the award ceremony were two 5-star Generals including Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; Minority Leader of Nigeria’s House of Reps, Representative of the IGP, the Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi; two DG’s of parastatals, one Permanent Secretary, captains of industry, SSA to a governor and more.

While the Chairman of the occasion was Sir Mike Ejiofor, former DSS Director, the special guest of honour was Dame Pauline Tallen, the Minister of Women Affairs. 

The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the ‘’Silent Heroes’’ Magazine and the presentation of certificates and plaques to awardees.

Each awardee went home with a well crafted trophy, a Hall of Fame Crystal Plaque, a framed certificate in an imported leather box and a medal of honour. 

While expressing her deep appreciation to the management of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, Mr. Osadebe Osakwe of North China Construction Ltd and others for their encouragement and support, the project director said the vision has come to stay, adding that “in furtherance of the initiative, we like to disclose our intention to institute the Africa Heroes Awards in the nearest future with a view to celebrating our unsung achievers within the continent of Africa”.

Celebrating Excellence 

According to NSHA Convener, Mr. Odita Sunday-Udemaguna, the Nigeria Silent Heroes Awards is all about celebrating excellence and achievements of deserving Nigerians.

He said: “Lot of people are over celebrated, while hundreds of Nigerians doing very heroic things are under-celebrated. This is the reason I founded the Silent Heroes Awards Initiative, an NGO set up to celebrate unsung heroes.

‘’Those celebrated were carefully nominated among millions of others given the outstanding contributions they have made over the years in their various spheres to add value to humanity.”

Awardees

Among the crop of awardees for this year’s edition were Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; IGP Alkali Baba Usman, Mr Kennedy Uzoka of UBA, Mr Kashifu I. Abdullahi, HRM Oba Dr Amb Joshua Olawale Aminu, Dr Mrs Favour Ugwuanyi, Dr Mrs Shade Olukoya, Mrs Anna Dickson Ishaku, Hajiya Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed, Miss Olayemi Esan, and Mrs Owen Omogiafo.

Others are Comrade Dr Nuhu Solomon Anyegwu, Dr Bone Efoziem Chinye, Dr Ishaq Hadejia, Hon Barr Pius Ukeyima Akutah, Dr Ross Oluyede, Mr Laurence Izegbu, Barr Yinka Sanni, Comrade Amb Ejiro Wisdom Otarigho, and Alhaji Hamzat Lawal.

About Nigeria Silent Heroes Award

As a non-governmental organisation, the Nigeria Security Heroes Award that recognises humanity with an award that expresses gratitude of the society for their kindness towards fellow individuals, families, community and environment and their silent heroic service to country.

The award is  an annual event organised by individuals with reputation in Nigeria’s media sector to honour and celebrate personalities and institutions who have dedicated substantial part of their financial resources, intellectual/technical expertise, in adding value to humanity in various spheres of life over the years.