Wike’s Distinguished Award On Infrastructure Supply, An Affirmation Of Excellence In Governance

On Friday, October 21, 2022, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, was conferred with the “Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Supply” by President Muhammadu Buhari, on the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) ceremony, which came about on the State Home Convention Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Nigeria.

The monumental significance of this prestigious NEAPS, which was additionally conferred on another distinguished and excellent Nigerians in numerous fields of endeavor, isn’t misplaced on each the supporters and loyalists of the Rivers Governor, however most particularly on the naysayers, detractors and the handful of Rivers anti-progressives.

There are additionally those that had been  overbearingly obsessive about ‘brick and mortar’ innuendos, who took it upon themselves to embark on an unsolicited marketing campaign of damaging criticism in opposition to each good work of Governor Wike, from the second he assumed workplace on Could 29, 2015.

Particularly, NEAPS was set as much as acknowledge distinguished public service to Nigeria, both in contributions to people, state or area people, or the general public via excellence in management, service, or humanitarianism.

To qualify for recognition, the recipient have to be a residing Public Official or a personal  citizen, excelling in a given sphere of affect, in good character, standing and should even be on the forefront of service and innovation.

The person should present an act of public service past the acts of their given mandate in endowing their society positively, within the service to the nation.

There may be completely little doubt in any way, that Governor Wike met and glad all the standards stipulated for the popularity, nomination and conferment of this prestigious nationwide award on him by the President.

This level is germane particularly in opposition to the backdrop of feedback by some naysayers, who annoyingly alleged that the award had been procured, after some pecuniary dedication had been prolonged to sure quarters, to facilitate the nomination.

Nothing may very well be extra ludicrous and irrationally nonsensical than this allegation, particularly given the clear and undeniable fact that the ‘Distinguished Award for Infrastructure Supply’, may very well be mentioned to have been completely designed and flawlessly tailored for a frontrunner like Governor Wike, at an auspicious time like this, in our nationwide evolution as a rustic.

That the Rivers State Governor has been meritoriously acknowledged for this distinguished award didn’t come as a shock to many Nigerians, most of whom even opine that the award was overdue and Governor Wike should have obtained it earlier than this time. Their motive isn’t far fetched.

As early as 2017, barely a few years into his administration, he had already carved his indelible area of interest within the annals of infrastructure supply within the nation, when none aside from the Vice chairman of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, christened him  “Mr. Initiatives”, in recognition of the large achievements of the Rivers Governor in infrastructure, in such a brief interval when most of his first time period colleagues, had been nonetheless looking for their ft and settle right down to the rudiments of their new mandate.

Evidently that within the 5 years which have handed for the reason that Vice President’s unusual acknowledgement of Governor Wike’s pragmatic management, the Rivers Governor has achieved an impressive galore of breath-taking, fabulous, gigantic infrastructural tasks throughout the size and breadth of Rivers State, which haven’t solely reworked the panorama of the capital territory of Port Harcourt and environs right into a befitting capital metropolis, but additionally offered comfy entry and expressway passage into many historic kingdoms, hitherto accessible solely by sea.

The 12 flyovers (some already accomplished and in  use whereas others are nearing completion and can all be accomplished earlier than his tenure is over), criss-crossing the atmosphere of Port Harcourt and environs, the large, state-of-the-art Justice Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Regulation College complicated, Dr. Peter Odili Most cancers and Cardiovascular Analysis Therapy Heart, the spectacular Mom and Baby Hospital, the enduring Actual Madrid soccer academy.

Different tasks embody, Sakpenwa-Kono twin carriage expressway,  Opobo Unity Street, the reconstructed jetties, the renovated faculties, the rehabilitated inner roads throughout the state…are simply a few of the infrastructure tasks within the checklist that’s simply too complete to reel out.

Along with these is the admirable undeniable fact that Governor Wike’s generosity and humanitarian acts, each inside and throughout the nation have now change into legendary.

Governor Wike has accomplished all these, regardless of the comatose state of socio-economic and infrastructural decay he inherited from his predecessor and the large dislocation and disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which ravaged the whole nation.

He commissioned tasks upon tasks at a time when a few of his friends had been nonetheless struggling to even lay basis for some and he has not relented in his quest to proceed to ship high quality infrastructure to Rivers folks, which has upgraded his monicker to “Mr. High quality Initiatives.”

The actual icing on the cake of Governor Wike’s Distinguished Award on Infrastructure Supply, is that it has come from a sitting President who belongs to a distinct political celebration, which in itself, is an exceptional assertion and testimony of recognition for Governor Wike, who many have acknowledged as one of many ardent and most goal critics of the federal government of the day, who speaks reality to energy and all the time stands on the facet of justice and fairness.

This in fact is richly complemented  along with his unparalleled achievements and nationwide stature in infrastructure supply, amongst all of the state governors within the nation, which is definitely the core consideration for the award.

He has confirmed past all tenets, scrutiny and parameters of study, that he really deserves the “Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Supply” by President Muhammadu Buhari, on the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS).

He wants no additional validation to be totally acknowledged, endorsed and accepted not simply as, “Mr. High quality Initiatives” however needs to be hailed and addressed formally henceforth as, “Mr. Infrastructure” in Nigeria.

Congratulations Your Excellency!

‒Nsirim wrote from Port Harcourt