Anambra State Government said it will honour the author of Things Fall Apart, the late Chinua Achebe, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Blessed Tansi, and other selected individuals from the public and private sectors with three categories of awards on March 9.
The awards are “Distinguished Anambra State Grand Commander Medal’, ‘Distinguished Anambra State Commander Medal’, and ‘Anambra State Merit Award’ being given to the nominated individuals for outstanding achievements in their professions and contributions to the prosperity and good image of the state.
The Distinguished Anambra State Grand Commander Medal is to be awarded to individuals who have recorded outstanding performance and achievements nationally and internationally in fields of politics, diplomacy etc.
It is the highest honour given by the Anambra state government, and is rated at Nigeria’s CFR (Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic) level or above.
The ‘Distinguished Anambra State Commander Medal’ is Anambra state’s second highest honours to be bestowed on businessmen, and professionals in law, medicine, arts, sports, trade and commerce, diplomacy etc, and who have recorded outstanding achievements in their professions/industry and have made contributions to the prosperity of Anambra state.
The third category is ‘Anambra State Merit Award’, and will be bestowed on Anambra people from all works of life who have shown exemplary dedication to duty, and or who have gone out of their way to show outstanding civic responsibilities in fields such as sports, academics, and entertainment. It also includes young inventors and young business trailblazers.
Other recipients are Late Olauda Equaino, a member of the Abolitionist movement, Late Blessed Cyprian Iwene Michael Tansi to be honoured with the Distinguished Anambra State Grand Commander Medal.
The Managing Director of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Chief Uche Nworah, the Chairman ofM-P Infrastructure Ltd, promoters of Awka Millennium City (AMC), the joint real estate venture with Anambra State Government, Sen. Mike Ajaegbo and Hon. Obi Nwankwo, Anambra state Commissioner for Environment, are among those to be bestowed with the Distinguished Anambra State Commander Medal.
Dr Vera Udoye, Principal, Government Technical College, Onitsha, and Miss Agnes Ego Maduafokwa, highest scoring JAMB candidate in 2020 are among those that will be honoured with Anambra State Merit Award.
Gov. Willie Obiano will personally present the medals to the honourees. The event will also be used to formally commission the 13,000 – capacity International Conference Centre, Awka, one of the landmark and legacy projects of the Obiano administration.